MOSCOW, October 2 (RIA Novosti) - Polyus Gold, Russia's largest gold mining company, said Thursday its net profit calculated to International Financial Reporting Standards totaled $132.4 million in January-June 2008 against a net loss of $74.9 million in the same period last year.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) grew almost twofold to $240.13 million, and sales were up 64% to around $506 million in January-June 2008, the gold mining company said.

Polyus Gold, which produced 37.8 metric tons of gold in 2007, said gross profit in the reporting period increased twofold to around $204 million and operating profit was about $148 million against an operating loss of $94 million a year earlier.

Russian billionaires Mikhail Prokhorov and Vladimir Potanin hold around 30% each in Polyus Gold.