Houston’s Apache Corp. said Wednesday it lost $47 million in the first quarter versus a $145 million profit during the first three months of 2018. Despite the financial loss, Apache touted an uptick in oil and gas production volumes, especially in the Permian Basin where the energy company is increasingly focused. Apache Chief Executive John Christmann emphasized though that, despite some pricing and pipeline issues in the Permian, the company is still on track with its 2019 production levels while keeping costs below budget. “We exceeded both our U.S. and international production guidance on a lower than expected capital budget,” Christmann said. Apache’s quarterly revenues dipped 6 percent from $1.75 billion a year ago to nearly $1.64 billion for the first quarter of this year. About half of Apache’s global production now comes from the Permian, which accounts for almost 250,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, up 36 […]