UPDATE 2-Aveva on track for full-year; shares up

* H1 profit down 14 pct at 26.6 mln stg vs 31 mln

* Analysts say results put firm on track for year

* Shares up as much as 6.9 pct

(Adds CEO comments, reaction, shares)

By Paul Sandle

LONDON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - British engineering software firm Aveva Group (AVV.L) posted a smaller-than-expected fall in profit on Thursday, as a resilient oil and gas market partly compensated for weakness in ship building.

The company, whose software is used to design ships, oil and gas projects and nuclear power stations, said although it remained cautious, it was well positioned to trade successfully through the global downturn.

"We have been investing in areas where we do still see strong growth, particularly in China, in Russia and especially Brazil, which has become a very big focus for us with offshore oil and gas," said Chief Executive Richard Longdon in a call with reporters.

"Overall, we are very positive about our situation."