UPDATE 1-Dawson Geophysical Q3 profits up 81 pct, beat estimates

(Recasts, adds details and share movement)

Aug 1 (Reuters) - Dawson Geophysical Co. (DWSN.O), which provides seismic data services to companies exploring for oil and gas, said quarterly profits grew 81 percent, driven by the addition of crew and equipment.

Shares of the company rose 11 percent to $60.59 in early trade on the Nasdaq.

Third-quarter net income rose to $7.6 million or 98 cents a share, the highest in its history, from $4.2 million or 56 cents a share, a year ago. Analysts expected earnings of 76 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Revenue grew 65 percent to $68.6 million due to the addition of seismic data acquisition crews since the last year's third quarter and improved pricing.

The quarterly results reflect continued brisk domestic exploration activities by Dawson's clients, particularly those seeking natural gas, it said in a statement.

The Dawson stock has outperformed the broader sector this year so far with a 48 percent gain, compared to a 35 percent increase in the S&P 1500 Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Sub-Industry Index .15GSPOILW. The sector benefits from the increase in the exploration and production activity, driven by near-record oil prices. (Reporting by Aditi Samajpati and Gurdeep Singh in Bangalore)