UPDATE 3-Halliburton 1st-qtr profit up 6 pct, outlook better

(Adds details from conference call, updates share price)

By Anna Driver

HOUSTON, April 21 (Reuters) - Halliburton Co (HAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday that first-quarter profit rose 6 percent, meeting Wall Street expectations, as customers in markets including the Middle East and Asia spent more on oil and gas exploration and production.

Halliburton and rivals including Schlumberger Ltd (SLB.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Weatherford International Ltd (WFT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) have seen profit growth in North America hampered by drilling declines in Canada and overcapacity for some well services in the United States.

But record crude oil prices and a two-year high in natural gas futures prices have prompted exploration companies to increase spending, leading to a more optimistic outlook.

"Looking forward, our North America customers are telling us that with continued strong natural gas fundamentals, they will be re-evaluating their drilling plans for the second half of the year," Dave Lesar, Halliburton's chief executive officer told investors on a conference call.

Halliburton, which opened a headquarters in Dubai last year in a bid to win more international business, said first-quarter profit increased to $584 million, or 64 cents per share, from $552 million, or 54 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 64 cents, according Reuters Estimates.

Revenue rose 18 percent to $4 billion.