• Quarterly net income of $1,727 million and cash flow from operating activities of $2,797 million
• Upstream production of 441,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day during fourth quarter, driven by continued strength at Kearl and Cold Lake, and higher production at Syncrude
• Maintained strong refining capacity utilization, achieving best ever quarterly utilization of 101 percent
• Returned more than $2.1 billion to shareholders in the fourth quarter, including successful completion of substantial issuer bid
• Declared first quarter dividend of 44 cents per share
• Approved $720 million project to construct largest renewable diesel facility in Canada
• Announcing company-wide goal to achieve net zero (Scope 1 and 2) by 2050 in operated assets

Imperial reported estimated net income in the fourth quarter of $1,727 million and cash flow from operating activities of $2,797 million, compared to net income of $2,031 million and cash flow from operating activities of $3,089 million in the third quarter of 2022. Fourth quarter results reflected strong operating performance across all business segments and robust diesel crack spreads, which were offset by lower upstream realizations. Full-year estimated net income was $7,340 million with cash flow from operating activities of $10,482 million.

“Our financial results this past year are the strongest in company history, driven by record operating performance across our assets,” said Brad Corson, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Throughout 2022 our operations remained focused on ensuring a stable supply of energy products to Canadian and global markets, supporting continued economic growth and capturing significant value for our shareholders.”

Upstream production in the fourth quarter averaged 441,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day, bringing full-year production to 416,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day. At Kearl, quarterly total gross production averaged 284,000 barrels per day, in-line with the asset's previous record quarterly production set in the fourth quarter of 2020. Kearl's second half production was the highest in the asset's history, fully recovering from early 2022 cold weather impacts, bringing full-year production to 242,000 total gross barrels per day. At Cold Lake, quarterly gross production averaged 141,000 barrels per day with annual production of 144,000 barrels per day, the highest full-year production since 2018. At Syncrude, quarterly production increased to 87,000 gross barrels per day following the completion of its planned turnaround in the third quarter of 2022, with full-year production of 77,000 barrels per day representing the highest annual production in Syncrude history.

In the Downstream, throughput in the fourth quarter averaged 433,000 barrels per day with capacity utilization of 101 percent, the highest quarterly utilization in company history, as Imperial continues to maximize production to meet Canadian demand. Full-year throughput averaged 418,000 barrels per day with capacity utilization of 98 percent, the highest full-year utilization in company history. Fourth quarter petroleum product sales averaged 487,000 barrels per day, with annual petroleum product sales averaging 475,000 barrels per day.

During the quarter, Imperial returned $2,145 million to shareholders, through dividend payments, accelerated completion of the company's annual normal course issuer bid program and successful completion of the company's $1.5 billion substantial issuer bid program in December. Throughout 2022, the company returned over $7 billion to its shareholders. “Imperial continued delivering on its long-standing commitment by returning record cash to shareholders in 2022 through our reliable and growing dividend and industry-leading share repurchase programs,” said Corson.

In January, Imperial announced it will further help Canada achieve its net zero goals by approving a $720 million renewable diesel project located at the company’s Strathcona Refinery near Edmonton. The project will be the largest of its kind in Canada, designed to produce more than one billion litres of renewable diesel annually primarily from locally sourced feedstocks and could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 3 million metric tons per year, as determined in accordance with Canada's Clean Fuel Regulations. Site preparation and initial construction work is underway with renewable diesel production expected to start in early 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

As part of the company’s efforts to provide solutions that lower the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of our operations and provide lower life-cycle emissions products to our customers, Imperial is implementing a company-wide goal to achieve net zero emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2050 in its operated assets through collaboration with government and industry partners. Successful technology development and supportive fiscal and regulatory frameworks will be needed to achieve this goal. This work builds on Imperial’s previously announced net-zero goal for operated oil sands as part of the Pathways Alliance initiative, as well as the company’s 2030 emission intensity reduction goal for operated oil sands. The company plans to achieve its net zero goal by applying oil sands recovery technologies that use less steam, implementing carbon capture and storage and implementing efficiency projects including the use of lower carbon fuels at its operations.

“We continue to make progress on advancing lower-carbon solutions that support our journey to net zero, including our strategic growth investment in the Strathcona Renewable Diesel project,” said Corson. “This project will create jobs for the local economy, help our customers reduce their emissions and further enhance Imperial’s low-carbon product offering.”

Fourth quarter highlights

• Net income of $1,727 million or $2.86 per share on a diluted basis, up from $813 million or $1.18 per share in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Cash flows from operating activities of $2,797 million, up from $1,632 million in the same period of 2021. Cash flows from operating activities excluding working capital(1) of $2,452 million, up from $1,648 million in the same period of 2021.
• Capital and exploration expenditures totaled $488 million, up from $441 million in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• The company returned $2,145 million to shareholders in the fourth quarter of 2022, including $211 million in dividends paid and $1,934 million in share repurchases, through its normal course issuer bid and completion of the $1,500 million substantial issuer bid program in December.
• Production averaged 441,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day, compared to 445,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day in the same period of 2021. Adjusting for the sale of XTO Energy Canada, which closed in the third quarter of 2022, production increased by 11,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day compared to the same period in 2021.
• Total gross bitumen production at Kearl averaged 284,000 barrels per day (201,000 barrels Imperial's share), in-line with the asset's previous record quarterly production set in the fourth quarter of 2020 and up from 270,000 barrels per day (191,000 barrels Imperial's share) in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Gross bitumen production at Cold Lake averaged 141,000 barrels per day, compared to 142,000 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• The company's share of gross production from Syncrude averaged 87,000 barrels per day, up from 79,000 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Refinery throughput averaged 433,000 barrels per day, up from 416,000 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2021. Capacity utilization reached 101 percent, the highest quarterly utilization in company history, up from 97 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021, as the company continues to maximize production to meet Canadian demand.
• Petroleum product sales were 487,000 barrels per day, compared to 496,000 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Chemical net income of $41 million in the quarter, compared to $64 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Lower income was primarily driven by lower polyethylene margins.
• Approved $720 million project to construct largest renewable diesel facility in Canada. The project, located at Imperial's Strathcona Refinery near Edmonton, is designed to produce more than one billion litres of renewable diesel annually, primarily from locally sourced feedstocks and could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 3 million metric tonnes per year, as determined in accordance with Canada's Clean Fuel Regulations. Site preparation and initial construction work is underway with renewable diesel production expected to start in early 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.
• Announcing company-wide goal to achieve net zero (Scope 1 and 2) by 2050 in operated assets, through collaboration with government and industry partners. This builds on Imperial’s previously announced net zero goal for operated oil sands as part of the Pathways Alliance initiative, as well as the company’s 2030 emission intensity reduction goal for its operated oil sands.
• The Pathways Alliance entered into a Carbon Sequestration Evaluation Agreement with the Government of Alberta, enabling the Alliance to immediately start a detailed evaluation of its proposed geological storage hub, which would be one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage projects.

(1) non-GAAP financial measure

KeyFacts Energy: Imperial Oil Canada country profile