(Reuters) - British engineering conglomerate Smiths Group Plc (>> Smiths Group plc) posted a better-than-expected first-half profit, as growth at its medical division made up for poor performance at its John Crane unit.

The company, which makes industrial seals, medical devices and security detectors, said headline operating profit fell 6 percent to 217 million pounds ($306.2 million) in the six months ended Jan. 31.

But it was still ahead of the analysts' expectation of 209.75 million pounds, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Group revenue fell 3 percent to 1.37 billion pounds.

Revenue at John Crane tumbled 13 percent to 393 million, hurt by lower demand from oil and gas clients.

Oil companies across the globe have slashed capital expenditure and put projects on hold as they try to live out a drastic fall in crude oil prices .

John Crane makes mechanical seals, along with other products, for customers such as BP Plc (>> BP plc), Shell and Chevron Corp (>> Chevron Corporation), according to Smiths' website.

Revenue at Smiths Medical, which supplies medical devices to healthcare providers around the world, was up 1 percent at 411 million pounds.

The company raised its interim dividend to 13.25 pence per share from 13 pence last year.

($1 = 0.7087 pounds)

(This version of the story corrects paragraphs 1 and 5 to remove reference to John Crane as Smiths' largest division)

(Reporting by Esha Vaish and Aastha Agnihotri in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair and Gopakumar Warrier)

Stocks treated in this article : Chevron Corporation, Smiths Group plc, BP plc