Barnwell Industries Inc. posted a narrower loss in its fiscal second quarter and said real estate transactions will give its financial results a boost in the April-June period.

The Honolulu-based company, which has been plagued by lower oil and natural gas prices and has been cutting executives’ salaries, reported Wednesday a loss of $1.6 million, or 19 cents a share, compared with $2 million, or 24 cents a share, in the year-earlier period.

Barnwell said it reduced general and administrative costs by $576,000, or 27 percent, but it still was a tough quarter. Land investment revenue decreased $533,000, and natural gas and oil prices declined 54 and 39 percent, respectively, to reduce oil and natural gas operating results by $200,000.

Its financial results were aided this quarter by just $85,000 in noncash-deferred income tax expense compared with $785,000 it incurred in the year-earlier quarter.

Chairman and CEO Morton Kinzler said the “good news” in the current quarter is that the company closed on the sale of a house on Hawaii island.

“As a result, the venture repaid in full its outstanding debt (related to the Big Island home) … and the company now has no bank debt,” Kinzler said.

Barnwell’s stock closed up 2 cents at $1.65. Results came out before the market opened.