Item 1A. Risk factors
Imperial’s financial and operating results are subject to a variety of risks inherent in oil, gas and petrochemical businesses and the pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities. Many of these risk factors are not within Imperial’s control and could adversely affect Imperial’s business, financial and operating results, or financial position. These risk factors include:
Supply and demand
The oil, gas, fuels and petrochemical businesses are fundamentally commodity businesses. This means the company’s operations and earnings may be significantly affected by changes in oil, natural gas and petrochemical prices, and by changes in margins on refined products and petrochemicals. Crude oil, natural gas, petrochemical and petroleum product prices and margins depend on local, regional, and global events or conditions that affect supply and demand for the relevant commodity or product. Commodity prices have been volatile, and the company expects that volatility to continue during the lifespan of its major assets. Any material decline in crude oil prices could have a material adverse effect on the company’s Upstream operations, results, financial position, proved reserves and the amount spent to develop reserves. On the other hand, a material increase in crude oil prices could have a material adverse effect on the company's Downstream margins, depending on the market conditions for refined products. The company's pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels, and lithium also depends on the growth and development of markets for those products and services, including implementation of supportive and stable government policies and developments in technology to enable those products and services to be provided on a cost-effective basis at commercial scale. See "Climate change, energy transition and greenhouse gas restrictions" in this Item 1A. The company may also be impacted by changes in other commodities the company utilizes, such as prices and availability of feedstocks for lower-emission fuels including renewable diesel.
Economic conditions
The demand for energy and petrochemicals is generally linked closely with broad-based economic activities and levels of prosperity. The occurrence of economic downturns, recessions or other periods of low or negative economic growth will typically have a direct adverse impact on the company’s results. Other factors that affect general economic conditions, such as changes in population growth rates or living standards, government regulation or austerity programs, national or regional trade tariffs, trade sanctions or trade controls, international monetary and currency exchange rate fluctuations, decoupling of economies, disruptions to or realignment or breaking of current or historical military alliances, security or public health issues and responses, extended government shutdowns, the inability to access debt markets due to rating, banking, or legal constraints, liquidity crises, market bubbles and corrections, de-dollarization in global trade or the growth or use of alternative common currencies, and other events or conditions that impair the functioning of financial markets and institutions, also pose risks to the company, including risks to the safety of the company’s financial assets and to the ability of the company’s partners, suppliers and customers to fulfill their commitments to the company.
Disruptions to or realignment or breaking of current or historical trade alliances or agreements or global trade and supply chain networks, changes in international trade patterns or shipping routes, or a broader breakdown in global trade, pose risks. During 2025, the United States announced a variety of trade-related actions, including the imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada and other countries. In response, Canada announced its own retaliatory tariffs. The United States and Canada have continued to discuss a potential end to or reduction in such tariffs, but the full impact and duration of such tariffs is uncertain. Furthermore, there remains a possibility of further escalation in the trade dispute, and there is uncertainty regarding the future status of existing international trade agreements to which Canada is a party, including the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade. Although the impact of such actions on Imperial and its partners, suppliers and customers is uncertain, such actions could depress economic activity, reduce demand for the company’s products, limit or disrupt supply chains, increase costs, reduce market prices and export volumes of the company’s products, or otherwise have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.
Other demand-related factors
Factors that may affect the demand for crude oil, gas, fuels and petrochemicals, and therefore could impact the company’s results, include technological improvements in energy efficiency; seasonal weather patterns; increased competitiveness of, or government policy support for, alternative energy sources or potential substitutes for the company's products; new product quality regulations; technological changes or consumer preferences that alter fuel choices, such as technological advances in energy storage or other critical areas that make wind, solar, nuclear or other alternatives more competitive for power generation; government actions to increase strategic reserves to enhance energy security; increased demand for artificial intelligence, including the construction and expansion of artificial intelligence data centers; changes in customer or consumer
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preferences for the company’s products, including consumer demand for alternative fuel or electric transportation or alternatives to plastic products; broad-based changes in personal income levels, interest rates and inflation; and security or public health issues and responses such as epidemics and pandemics. See also "Climate change, energy transition and greenhouse gas restrictions" in this Item 1A below.
Other supply-related factors
Commodity prices and margins also vary depending on a number of factors affecting supply. For example, increased supply from the development of new or previously inaccessible oil and gas supply sources and technologies to enhance recovery from existing sources tends to reduce commodity prices to the extent such supply increases are not offset by commensurate growth in demand. Similarly, increases in industry refining or petrochemical manufacturing capacity relative to demand tend to reduce margins on affected products. Crude oil, gas and petrochemical supply levels can also be affected by factors that reduce available supplies, such as the level of and adherence by participating countries or others to production quotas established by OPEC or "OPEC+" and other agreements among sovereigns; government policies that restrict (or may have a consequence of restricting) oil and gas production or exports, or increase associated production, reporting or compliance costs, including actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as described under “Climate change, energy transition and greenhouse gas restrictions” in this Item 1A, and previous Government of Alberta curtailment regulations; collective actions by non-governmental organizations and financial institutions to withhold funding or support from oil and gas producers; the occurrence of wars or hostile actions, including disruption of land or sea transportation routes; natural disasters; trade tariffs, sanctions or broader breakdowns in global trade; disruptions in competitors’ operations; and unexpected pipeline or rail constraints that may disrupt and have in the past disrupted supplies. For example, Russia's military action in Ukraine impacted global crude oil and gas supply levels and prices, and contributed to a volatile commodity environment. There also may be new or emerging factors that could increase global oil, gas, and petrochemical supply levels in the short or long term, such as government policies and actions intended to boost or expand development of domestic or foreign oil and gas reserves or accelerate the pace of production reaching the market, including access to previously unavailable, sanctioned, or protected oil and gas resources or the availability or opening of new shipping routes. Dynamic and unpredictable world events may lead to new oil and gas opportunities becoming available or current opportunities becoming less available or unavailable, and such events may adversely affect the company’s business and results to the extent that the company is unable to compete effectively for, or is excluded from, such opportunities or any new or existing investments result in reduced returns. Technological change can also alter the relative costs for competitors to find, produce, and refine oil and gas and to manufacture petrochemicals.
Canadian-specific market factors
The market price for western Canadian heavy crude oil is typically lower than light and medium grades of oil, principally due to the higher transportation and refining costs. Western Canadian crude oil may also be subject to limits on transportation capacity to markets. Future crude price differentials between western Canadian crude oil relative to prices in the U.S. Gulf Coast are uncertain and changes in the heavy or light crude oil differentials could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business. For example, the United States government has indicated it may reduce trade sanctions on Venezuela and take certain steps intended to increase the volume of crude oil produced in Venezuela, and either of these actions could adversely impact western Canadian crude oil price differentials compared to the U.S. Gulf Coast and therefore the company’s business. Additionally, in the past, increased differentials have led the Government of Alberta to enact temporary mandatory production curtailment regulations that imposed production limits on large producers in Alberta, such as Imperial; although the regulatory authority to impose curtailments was repealed at the end of 2021, the use of similar curtailment regulations in the future could have an adverse effect on the company’s business. A significant portion of the company’s production is bitumen, which is blended with diluent for transportation and marketability of heavy crude oil. Increases to diluent prices, relative to heavy crude oil prices, could also have an adverse effect on the company’s business.
Other market factors
Market factors may also result in losses from commodity derivatives and other instruments used to hedge price exposures or for commodity and treasury trading activities. Imperial’s future business results, including cash flows and financing needs, may also be affected by the occurrence, severity, pace and rate of recovery of future public health epidemics or pandemics, the responsive actions taken by governments and others, and the resulting effects on regional and global markets and economies. If the company’s mitigation and response efforts prove insufficient, then large outbreaks of epidemics, pandemics or other health crises at operating sites, particularly in remote locations and where work camps are utilized, could materially impact the company’s personnel and its operations, reducing productivity and increasing costs.
Government and political factors
Imperial’s results can be adversely impacted by political, legal or regulatory developments affecting operations and markets. Changes in government policy or regulations, changes in law or interpretation of settled law,
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challenges to legislative jurisdiction between different levels of government, third-party opposition to company or infrastructure projects, and duration of regulatory reviews could impact the company’s existing operations and planned projects. This includes actions by governments, policy makers, regulators or other actors to delay or deny necessary licences and permits; pause, reduce or retract government incentives for emissions reductions; disrupt or impact reliability as a result of policy decisions on types and pricing of energy available; or restrict the availability of oil and gas leases, investment opportunities or the operation of third-party infrastructure on which the company relies, such as pipelines to transport the company’s Upstream production to market or that supply feedstock to the company’s refineries. Additionally, changes in environmental regulations, assessment processes or other laws (including but not limited to in respect of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions and company communications relating thereto), regulatory interpretations that exclude or disfavour the company's products under government policies or programs intended to support new or developing markets or technologies or that are otherwise not technology-neutral, and increasing and expanding consultation with stakeholders and Indigenous communities, may increase the cost of compliance or reduce or delay available business opportunities and adversely impact the company’s results.
Other government and political factors that could adversely affect the company’s financial results include increases or changes in taxes or government royalty rates (including retroactive claims or punitive taxes on oil, gas and petrochemical operations) and changes in trade policies and agreements (including those potential tariffs and retaliatory actions discussed above in this Item 1A under “Economic conditions”). Changes in taxation policy could impact the company’s financial results and ability to return surplus cash to shareholders. Further, the adoption of regulations mandating efficiency standards, emission standards, procurement standards, or the use of alternative fuels or uncompetitive fuel components, could affect the company’s operations. Many governments are providing tax advantages and other subsidies to support alternative energy sources or are mandating the use of specific fuels or technologies. Governments are also introducing bans on certain technologies that could impact demand for products, such as the Government of Canada’s regulations to gradually reduce the proportion of permitted sales of new internal combustion engine cars and light trucks from 2026-2034 and ban such sales beginning in 2035. Governments and others are also promoting research into new technologies to reduce the cost and increase the scalability of alternative energy sources, and the success of these initiatives may decrease demand for the company’s products. Actions by policy makers, regulators or others may require changes in the company’s business or strategy that could result in reduced returns.
Governments may establish regulations with respect to the control of the company’s production, such as the Government of Alberta's temporary mandatory production curtailment regulations that were in effect from 2019 through 2021, as discussed in the "Supply and demand" section above. Government intervention in free markets may introduce unintended consequences such as market volatility and uncertainty, misallocation of resources, and erosion of investor confidence.
Environmental risks
All phases of the Upstream, Downstream and Chemical businesses are subject to environmental regulation pursuant to a variety of Canadian federal, provincial, territorial and municipal laws and regulations, as well as international conventions (collectively, "environmental legislation").
Environmental legislation imposes, among other things, restrictions, liabilities and obligations in connection with the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous substances and waste and in connection with spills, releases and emissions of various substances into the environment. As well, environmental regulations are imposed on the qualities and compositions of the products sold and imported, and include those aimed at reducing consumption or addressing environmental concerns with certain end products. Changes to these requirements could adversely affect the company’s results by impacting commodity prices, increasing costs and reducing revenues.
Environmental legislation also requires that wells, facility sites and other properties associated with the company’s operations be operated, maintained, monitored, abandoned and reclaimed to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. This includes the requirement for specific approvals for many areas of interaction with the environment, such as land use, air quality, water use, biodiversity protection and waste, including mine tailings management. The failure to operate as anticipated and adhere to conditions, the delay or denial of approvals, and changes to conditions or regulations, could negatively impact the company’s ability to operate its projects and facilities (including but not limited to resulting in mandatory facility shutdowns or suspensions) and adversely affect the company’s results.
Regulation of air, water and land
The implementation of, and compliance with, policies and regulations related to air, water and land, such as Alberta’s Lower Athabasca Regional Plan and Wetland Policy applicable to the company’s oil sands assets, could restrict development in current and future areas of operation. Of note, there are currently a number of court actions against the government by Indigenous groups regarding the assessment of cumulative impacts and infringement on exercise of treaty rights. These cases may inform future government decisions and policies
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regarding land use planning and resource development, and could impact the requirements or willingness to grant regulatory licenses or approvals. The company also depends on water obtained under licences for withdrawal, storage, reuse and discharge in both its Upstream and Downstream businesses, including future projects and expansions. Water use may be limited by regulatory requirements, seasonal fluctuations, regional drought, competing demands, environmental sensitivities, increasingly stringent water management standards, and changes to conditions or availability of licences, which may restrict and adversely affect the company’s operations. Additionally, a number of air quality regulations and frameworks are being developed or have been implemented at the federal and provincial levels, including sulphur dioxide limits for refineries in Ontario, and volatile organic compounds and benzene controls required for petroleum liquid storage tanks and loading operations at refining and terminal locations, and could impact existing and planned operations and projects through increased capital and operating expenses including retrofits to existing equipment, and could adversely impact the company’s operations and financial results.
Regulation of wildlife
Federal and provincial legislation aimed at protecting sensitive, threatened or endangered wildlife, such as woodland caribou and species of migratory birds, may also increase restoration and offset costs and impact the company’s projects. If it is determined that such wildlife and their habitat are not sufficiently protected, governments or other parties may take actions to limit the pace or ability to develop in areas of Imperial’s current and future projects.
Regulation of oil sands
The company’s mining operations are, among other regulations, subject to tailings management regulations that establish approval, monitoring, reporting and performance criteria for tailings ponds and management plans. A failure or perceived failure to satisfy the requirements or if the company’s tailings management operations do not operate in the manner anticipated by the company or third parties could materially impact the company's ability to operate its assets. Further, the absence or evolving nature of policies and regulations for the timing and closure of tailings ponds, including the approved technologies and methods for closure (such as the use of end pit lakes and water-capped tailings), and dam safety and delicensing directives, regulations, guides and abandonment requirements, could have a material impact on conditions for approvals and ultimate mine closure costs. Additionally, successful management and closure requires the release of water to the environment, and although an Alberta water release policy and federal oil sands effluent regulations are being developed, the timing and impact of these regulations is uncertain and the absence of effective regulation could negatively impact the company’s operations and financial results.
Environmental assessments
In addition, certain types of operations, including exploration and development projects and significant changes to certain existing projects, may require the submission and approval of environmental impact assessments mandated under both federal and provincial regulations. The Government of Canada's environmental assessment framework under the Impact Assessment Act expands assessment considerations beyond the environment to include social, health, economic, and gender-based impacts and the impact on Canada’s climate change commitments (including a requirement under the Strategic Assessment for Climate Change to provide a credible plan for the project to deliver net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050). It also includes a reliance on strategic and regional assessments and adjusted regulatory review timelines. In October 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the new federal assessment scheme was unconstitutional in part. In November 2024, Alberta referred the constitutionality of the amended Impact Assessment Act to the Court of Appeal of Alberta. The impact of this legislation is not fully apparent, but it may impact the cost, manner, duration and ability to advance large energy projects and project expansions.
Compliance costs
Compliance with environmental legislation can require significant expenditures and failure to comply with environmental legislation may result in the cessation of operations, imposition of fines and penalties, and liability for clean-up costs and damages.
The costs of complying with environmental legislation in the future could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition or results of operations. The company anticipates that changes in environmental legislation may require, among other things, reductions in emissions from its operations to the air and water and may result in increased capital expenditures. Changes in environmental legislation (including, but not limited to, application of regulations related to air, water, land, biodiversity and waste, such as mine tailings and the production or use of new or recycled plastics, as well as laws and regulations affecting production of the company's products, trading, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels or lithium) or changes in advertising, insurance or other laws that penalize the company for past or current production of legal and/or permitted products and operations may increase the cost of operation or compliance or reduce or delay available business opportunities. Future changes in environmental legislation and the enforcement of regulations could occur and result in stricter standards and enforcement, larger fines, penalties and liability, and
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increased capital expenditures and operating costs, which could have a material adverse effect on the company’s financial condition or results of operations.
Risk management
There are operational risks inherent in oil and gas exploration and production activities, as well as the potential to incur substantial financial liabilities, if the company does not manage those risks effectively. Environmental hazards and risks, including severe weather, drought, forest fires and geological events, may impact the company’s operational performance. For example, the company's oil sands operations have in the past been particularly affected by extreme cold or wet weather and wildfires. The ability to insure risks is limited by the capacity of the applicable insurance markets, which may not be sufficient to cover the likely cost of a major adverse operating event. Accordingly, the company’s primary focus is on prevention, including through its rigorous operations integrity management system. The company’s future results will depend on the continued effectiveness of these efforts. See also "Safety, business controls and risk management" under "Operational and other factors" in this Item 1A below.
Climate change, energy transition and greenhouse gas restrictions
Greenhouse gas emissions reductions
Driven by concern over the risks of climate change, the provinces and the Government of Canada have adopted or have revised regulatory frameworks to report on or reduce greenhouse gas emissions including emissions from the production and use of oil and gas and their products, as well as increase the use of or support for different emission-reduction technologies. These actions are being taken both independently by national and regional governments and within the framework of United Nations Conference of the Parties’ summits under which Canada has endorsed objectives to reduce the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the coming decades, with an ambition ultimately to achieve "net zero". Net zero means that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities would be balanced by actions that remove such gases from the atmosphere. Expectations for transition of the world’s energy system to lower-emission sources, and ultimately net zero, derive from hypothetical scenarios that reflect many assumptions about the future (including supportive policy and technology advancements) and reflect substantial uncertainties. The company’s actions with respect to the energy transition carry risks that the transition, including underlying technologies, government policies, and markets as discussed in more detail below, will not be available or develop at the pace or in the manner estimated by current net-zero scenarios. The success of Imperial's strategy for the energy transition will also depend on its ability to recognize key signposts of changes in the global energy system on a timely basis, and the corresponding ability to direct investment to the technologies and businesses, at the appropriate stage of development, to best capitalize on the company's competitive strengths. The company’s results may be impacted if the implementation pace and uncertainty of policy reduces the global competitiveness of the Canadian oil and gas industry and the company’s crude oil and refined products. Political government changes may create further policy uncertainty resulting in greater investment uncertainty and industry competitiveness concerns.
Greenhouse gas restrictions
Government actions intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include adoption of carbon emissions pricing, cap and trade regimes, carbon taxes, emissions limits, increased mileage and other efficiency standards, low carbon fuels standards, mandates for sales of electrical vehicles, restrictions on sales of gasoline-only vehicles, mandates for disclosure of plans to reduce emissions or reduce the use or production of certain products, mandates for use of specific fuels or technologies, and other incentives or mandates designed to support certain technologies for transitioning to lower-emission energy sources. International accords and underlying regional and national regulations covering climate change and greenhouse gas emissions continue to evolve with uncertain timing and outcome, making it difficult to predict their business impact. Such laws and policies could make the company's products more expensive or less competitive, reduce or delay available business opportunities, reduce demand for hydrocarbons, and shift hydrocarbon demand toward lower greenhouse gas emission energy sources. Current, pending and potential greenhouse gas regulations or policies may also increase compliance costs (such as complying with increased or mandatory disclosure or due diligence requirements and government mandated energy transition plans), increase abatement costs including taxes and levies, increase abandonment and reclamation obligations and impact decommissioning timelines, lengthen project evaluation and implementation times, impact reserves evaluations and affect operations. Increased costs may not be recoverable in the marketplace, could negatively affect the company's returns and could reduce the global competitiveness of the company’s crude oil, natural gas and refined products.
In 2024, the Government of Canada updated its nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement on climate change, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by 45 to 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2035, a substantial increase in ambition beyond its original and prior NDC. To implement these goals, the Government of Canada uses a number of policy tools including the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA), which sets a federal backstop carbon price Canada-wide through a carbon levy applied to fossil fuels ($50 per tonne CO2 equivalent emissions starting in 2022 and increasing by $15 per tonne annually to
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$170 per tonne in 2030), and an output-based pricing system for large industrial emitters. Under the GGPPA, provinces are required to either adopt the GGPPA, or obtain equivalency by adopting a price-based system (with a minimum of the federal carbon pricing) or a cap and trade system. Further, in 2021 the Government of Canada enacted legislation to formalize Canada’s target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and establish interim emissions reductions targets at five year intervals. Under the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, the Government of Canada is required to develop an emissions reduction plan for 2030 consistent with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and additional sector specific regulations may be developed to achieve this target. Under a November 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, Canada and Alberta both confirmed they remain committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The Government of Alberta obtained federal equivalency for its Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction Regulation (TIER) that came into effect in 2020 and applies to facilities with CO2 emissions in excess of 100,000 tonnes per year. TIER is designed to reduce emissions by putting a price on a nominal percentage of a facility’s emissions, which percentage increases annually in accordance with TIER (for oil sands mining and upgrading facilities, the percentage has increased from 20% for 2020 to 26% for 2026, and is to continue to increase to 38% by 2030 under current regulations). In a November 2025 Memorandum of Understanding, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta committed to work collaboratively to design and commit to globally competitive, long-term carbon effective prices, carbon levy recycling protocols, and sector-specific stringency factors for Alberta emitters in the oil and gas and electricity sectors through Alberta’s TIER system, which will ramp up to a minimum effective credit price of $130 per tonne, although the date for introduction of the effective price and the rate of price increases over time remain to be determined. In December 2025, the Government of Alberta introduced a compliance pathway under TIER allowing facilities to earn compliance credits though investments in approved emissions-reduction projects in Alberta. Further, the Alberta Oil Sands Emissions Limit Act sets a limit of 100 megatonnes of CO2 per year of emissions in the oil sands sector, but oil sands emissions remain below the limit and it is not yet possible to predict the impact of this act on the company’s future oil sands operations in Alberta. With respect to other provinces, Ontario obtained federal equivalency for its Emissions Performance System, which put a price on 8 percent of a facility’s emissions in 2022. The price increased by 2.4 percent in 2023 and 1.5 percent in 2024, and will increase by 1.5 percent per year thereafter. British Columbia has carbon pricing in place for all industrial emissions, with pricing that matches the federal carbon pricing schedule since 2022. Increases in carbon pricing could adversely impact the company’s operations and financial results unless the company can adapt its operations through technological innovation and investment in a cost-effective manner or meet compliance through offset credits or other mechanisms.
There are also various renewable and low carbon fuel standards being developed or already applicable to the company’s products. In 2022, the Government of Canada finalized the Clean Fuel Regulations, which require the reduction in carbon intensity of liquid transportation fuels supplied in Canada starting in July 2023. The regulations require fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon intensity of gasoline and diesel by reducing the GHG emissions within the fossil fuel life cycle, blending in low carbon intensity renewables or fuel switching away from fossil fuels. Similarly, British Columbia introduced a Low Carbon Fuel Standard in 2013, which increased to a 10 percent carbon intensity reduction requirement in 2020. Beginning in 2023, the British Columbia government has further increased the carbon intensity reductions to a total of 30 percent by 2030 (compared to the 2010 baseline). Compliance can be achieved by either blending renewable fuels with low carbon intensity or by purchasing credits. In 2025, both Ontario and British Columbia introduced domestic (Canadian) renewable fuel content requirements into their provincial fuel regulations.
The Government of Canada's Impact Assessment Act links environmental assessment approvals to climate change-related goals, and has also discussed a goal of establishing legally-binding policies for being carbon-neutral by 2050. Changes and policies related to this act could adversely impact the company’s ability to progress new oil sands projects. Uncertainty exists regarding federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction to implement such changes and policies. In October 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Impact Assessment Act was unconstitutional in part. In November 2024, Alberta referred the constitutionality of the amended Impact Assessment Act to the Court of Appeal of Alberta. The impact of this legislation is not fully apparent.
Governments may also impose restrictions on production of, or emissions from, oil and gas and electricity to the extent they view such measures as a viable approach for pursuing national and global energy and climate policies. For example, following the publication of a regulatory framework in December 2023, in November 2024, the Government of Canada released proposed regulations that will impose a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from upstream oil and gas activities by 2030, and in December 2024 the Government of Canada released final Clean Electricity Regulations that will require reductions in the carbon intensity of electricity provided to the grid between 2035 and 2050. Although the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2025, under which the Government of Canada committed to not implement the oil and gas emissions cap and to suspend the Clean Electricity Regulations in
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Alberta pending a new carbon pricing agreement with Alberta to be negotiated in 2026, many details remain to be determined and uncertainty about the future of these policies remains. Concern over the risks of climate change may lead governments to make laws applicable to the energy industry progressively more stringent over time. Political actors, non-governmental organizations, and their agents also seek to collectively advance climate change objectives indirectly, such as by seeking to reduce the availability or increase the cost of financing and investment in the oil and gas sector. These actions include delaying or blocking needed infrastructure, utilizing shareholder governance mechanisms against companies or their shareholders or financial institutions in an effort to deter investments in oil and gas activities, and taking other actions intended to promote changes in business strategy for oil and gas companies.
Technology and lower-emission solutions
Achieving societal ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately achieve net-zero emissions will require new technologies and added infrastructure to reduce the cost and increase the scalability of solutions to reduce emissions. The company is continuing research and collaboration efforts to advance the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels and lithium. The company’s future results and ability to succeed through the energy transition while helping meet Canada's emission-reduction goals and meet its own emission reduction goals will depend in part on the success of these research and collaboration efforts. It will also rely on the company’s ability to adapt and apply the strengths of its current business model to providing the energy products of the future in a cost-competitive manner.
Policy and market development
The scale of the world’s energy system means that, in addition to developments in technology discussed above, meeting society’s needs for energy and reducing emissions will require appropriate support from governments and private participants throughout the global economy. Ultimately, market solutions with sound business fundamentals are necessary to incentivize and sustain wide-spread solutions that drive emissions reductions. The company’s ability to develop and deploy carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels, lithium, and other new energy technologies at commercial scale will depend in part on the development of stable and supportive government policies and markets. Failure or delay of these policies or markets to materialize or be maintained, or the development of these policies or markets in a manner that differs from the company’s expectations, could adversely impact or delay these investments. Policy and other actions that result in restricting the availability of hydrocarbon products without a commensurate reduction in demand may have unpredictable adverse effects, including increased commodity price volatility; periods of significantly higher commodity prices and resulting inflationary pressures; and local or regional energy shortages. Such effects, in turn, may depress economic growth or lead to rapid or conflicting shifts in policy by different actors, with resulting adverse effects on the company’s business.
In addition, the existence of supportive policies in any jurisdiction is not a guarantee that those policies will continue in the future. The company's operations and planned projects that have been developed with regard to current or anticipated policies, including but not limited to policies relating to carbon emission credits, may become uneconomic or otherwise adversely impacted if such policies change or are not adopted as anticipated. See also the discussion of "Supply and demand", "Government and political factors", and "Project management" in this Item 1A.
Currency
Prices for commodities produced by the company are commonly benchmarked in U.S. dollars. The majority of Imperial’s sales and purchases are related to these industry U.S. dollar benchmarks. As the company records and reports its financial results in Canadian dollars, to the extent that the value of the Canadian dollar strengthens, the company’s reported earnings will be negatively affected. The company does not currently make use of derivative instruments to offset exposures associated with foreign currency.
Other business risks
Reliance upon third-party suppliers, service providers and ExxonMobil global capability centres
Imperial is reliant on a number of key chemicals, catalysts and third-party service providers, including input and output commodity transportation (pipelines, rail, trucking, marine) and utilities providing services, including electricity and water, to various company operations. The lack of availability, capacity or proximity, with respect to pipeline facilities and railcars, could negatively impact the company’s ability to produce at capacity levels. Transportation disruptions, including those caused by events unrelated to the company’s operations, could adversely affect the company’s price realizations, refining and other operations, and sales volumes. This includes outages of key third-party infrastructure, such as pipelines servicing the company’s oil sands assets or pipelines supplying feedstock to its refineries, which could impact the company’s ability to operate its assets or
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limit the ability to deliver production and products to market. A third-party utilities outage could have an adverse impact on the company’s operations and ability to produce.
The company also enters into contractual relationships with suppliers, partners and other counterparties to procure and sell goods and services, including with counterparties located outside of Canada. Furthermore, the company has agreements with affiliates of ExxonMobil to provide services to the company and to share common business and operational support services to allow the companies to consolidate duplicate work and systems and benefit from global best practices and expertise, and in 2025 the company announced restructuring plans to centralize additional corporate and technical activities in ExxonMobil global business and technology centres, leveraging its relationship with ExxonMobil to realize substantial efficiency and effectiveness benefits from scale, integration and technology. The company’s operations, market position and financial condition may be adversely impacted if these counterparties fail to fulfil their obligations. For counterparties located outside of Canada, the risk of such failure may be enhanced and the company’s ability to mitigate against such failure may be reduced as a result of a lack of physical proximity, foreign government actions or other geopolitical factors.
Litigation
The company may also be adversely affected by the outcome of litigation, including class actions or arbitrations, and by government investigations or enforcement, in respect of greenhouse gas emissions, the promotion of the company’s products, or alleged non-compliance with applicable laws or regulations. Such proceedings are subject to uncertainty and success is not guaranteed, and the company may incur significant expenses and devote significant resources in defending such proceedings.
Operating costs and inflation
Current and future increases in operating costs such as energy, transportation and materials, including through shipping, supply chain disruptions and inflationary cost pressures, could adversely affect the company’s financial results if it is unable to control or offset these costs. In addition to direct potential impacts on the company's costs and revenues, market factors such as rates of inflation may indirectly impact results to the extent such factors reduce general rates of economic growth and therefore energy demand, as discussed under "Supply and demand". As inflationary pressures generally stabilized in Canada and other countries during 2025, many governments were able to lower interest rates over the period. Potential tariffs and retaliatory actions discussed above in this Item 1A under "Economic conditions" could reintroduce inflationary effects and may adversely impact the company through availability of financing, cost of debt, and exchange rate fluctuations. Additional information regarding the potential future impact of market factors on the company's businesses is included or incorporated by reference under "Item 7A Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk" in this report.
Operational and other factors
In addition to external economic and political factors, Imperial’s future business results also depend on the company’s ability to successfully manage those factors that are at least in part within its control, including its capital allocation into existing and new businesses. The extent to which the company manages these factors will impact its performance relative to competition. For projects in which the company is not the operator such as Syncrude, Imperial depends on the management effectiveness of one or more co-venturers whom the company does not control.
Project management
The nature of the company’s Upstream, Downstream and Chemical businesses depend on complex, long-term, and capital intensive projects that require a high degree of project management expertise to maximize efficiency. This includes development, engineering, construction, commissioning and ongoing operational activities and expertise. The company’s results are affected by its ability to develop and operate projects and facilities as planned, and by events or conditions that affect the advancement, operation, cost or results of such projects or facilities. These risks include the company’s ability to obtain the necessary environmental and other regulatory approvals; changes in regulations; the ability to negotiate successfully with joint venturers, partners, governments, suppliers, customers and others; the ability to protect and enforce the company’s contractual and legal rights (including with joint venture partners); the ability to model and optimize reservoir performance and production reliability; changes in resources and operating costs including the availability and cost of materials, equipment and qualified personnel; the ability to qualify for certain incentives available under supportive government policies for emerging markets and technologies; the impact of general economic, business and market conditions; and the company’s ability to prevent, to the extent possible, and respond effectively to unforeseen technical difficulties that could delay project start-up or cause unscheduled downtime.
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Operational efficiency
An important component of Imperial’s competitive performance, especially given the commodity-based nature of the company’s business, is the ability to operate efficiently, including the company’s ability to manage expenses and improve production yields on an ongoing basis. This requires continuous management focus, including technological integration and improvements, cost control, productivity enhancements and regular reappraisal of the company’s asset portfolio. The company’s operations and results also depend on key personnel and subject matter expertise, the recruitment, development and retention of high caliber employees, and the availability of skilled labour.
Research and development and technical change
Imperial relies upon the research and development organizations of the company and ExxonMobil, with whom the company conducts shared research. Innovation and technology are important to maintain the company’s competitive position, especially in light of the technological nature of Imperial’s business, the dynamic and rapidly evolving technological landscape, and the need for continuous efficiency improvement.
The company’s research and development organizations must be able to adapt to a changing market, regulatory and policy environment, including developing or deploying technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity. To remain competitive, the company must also continuously adapt and capture the benefits of new and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, including growing the company’s capabilities to utilize digital data technologies to gain new business insights and support business decisions and operations.
There are risks associated with existing and new operations and projects that rely on new technology, including that the results of implementing the new technology may differ from simulated, piloted or expected results. The failure to develop and adopt new technology may have an adverse impact on the company’s operations, ability to meet regulatory requirements and operational commitments and targets (including those relating to environmental sustainability and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions), and financial results.
The company’s Kearl site has converted all of its haul trucks to autonomous operation. The autonomous system is composed of perception systems, sensors and mechanical components on each truck, which feed information to a number of onboard computer systems. These onboard computer systems send real time information over a wireless network to a central server and database that displays real time information to central control room operators who manage the overall fleet’s operation. Computer automation systems are used to both maneuver the individual trucks and in an overarching truck assignment application which manages truck routing patterns. The use of the autonomous system helps the company to capture productivity improvements while also reducing costs and further enhancing operational safety. Failure of the autonomous system to operate as intended could result in material adverse impacts to production at the Kearl site and the company’s financial results, physical harm to people or the environment, damage or destruction of company assets, and negative reputational consequences. The company applies risk management, internal controls and controls management systems in respect of these risks relating to autonomous haul trucks, as described in “Safety, business controls and risk management” in this Item 1A below. See also “Cybersecurity” and “Reputation” in this Item 1A below.
Safety, business controls and risk management
The scope and nature of the company’s operations present a variety of significant hazards and risks, including operational hazards and risks such as explosions, fires, pipeline ruptures and crude oil, chemical or produced water spills. Imperial’s operations are also subject to the additional hazards of pollution, releases of toxic gas and environmental hazards and risks, including severe weather (such as extreme cold or wet weather events that have previously impacted the company's oil sands operations), drought, forest fires and geological events. The company’s results and ability to achieve its business objectives depend on effectively identifying, assessing, and mitigating these inherent risks, maintaining robust operational integrity, and reducing the potential for human error. To manage these risks, the company applies rigorous management systems, including an integrated operations integrity management system framework, structured processes for equipment inspection, surveillance, maintenance and replacement, and ongoing enhancements to critical safeguards. The company also maintains a disciplined framework of internal controls and applies a controls management system for monitoring compliance with this framework. The company’s Upstream and Downstream operations may experience loss of production, slowdowns or shutdowns and increased costs due to the failure of interdependent systems, and substantial liabilities and other adverse impacts could result if the company’s management systems and controls do not function as intended.
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Preparedness
The company’s operations have been and in the future may be disrupted by severe weather events, natural disasters, human error, cyberattacks, and similar events. The company's facilities are designed, engineered, constructed, and operated to withstand a variety of extreme climatic and other conditions, with safety factors built in to cover a number of uncertainties, including those associated with permafrost stability, temperature extremes, extreme rainfall events, earthquakes and other events. The company's consideration of changing weather conditions and inclusion of safety factors in design cover the engineering uncertainties that climate change and other events may potentially introduce. Imperial’s ability to mitigate the adverse impacts of these events depends in part upon the effectiveness of its robust facility engineering, rigorous emergency preparedness and response, and business continuity planning.
Cybersecurity
The company is regularly subject to attempted cybersecurity disruptions from a variety of sources, including state-sponsored actors and actors potentially employing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence technologies. The company’s defensive preparedness includes multi-layered technological capabilities for prevention and detection of cybersecurity disruptions: non-technological measures such as threat information sharing with governmental and industry groups; annual internal training and awareness campaigns including routine testing of employee awareness via mock threats; and an emphasis on resiliency including business response and recovery. See "Item 1C. Cybersecurity" for information on the company's program for managing cybersecurity risks.
The company has limited ability to influence third parties, including the company's partners, suppliers, service providers (including providers of cloud-based services for the company's data or applications) and customers, to implement strong cybersecurity controls, and the company is exposed to potential harm from cybersecurity events that may affect their operations.
If the measures the company is taking to protect against cybersecurity disruptions prove to be insufficient or if the company’s proprietary data is otherwise not protected, the company, as well as its customers, employees or third parties, could be adversely affected. Cybersecurity disruptions could cause physical harm to people or the environment; damage or destroy assets; compromise business systems; result in proprietary information being altered, lost or stolen; result in employee, customer or third-party information being compromised; or otherwise disrupt the company’s business operations. The company could incur significant costs to remedy the effects of a major cybersecurity disruption, in addition to costs in connection with resulting regulatory actions, litigation or reputational harm.
Competition
As noted in Item 1 above, the Canadian energy and petrochemical industries are highly competitive. Technology and expertise provided by industry service companies may enhance the competitiveness of firms that may not have the internal resources and capabilities of Imperial. As described in more detail above, the company’s hydrocarbon-based energy products are also subject to growing and, in many cases, government-supported competition from alternative energy sources. In addition, as the company enters new markets in pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities, the company will need to compete effectively with established competitors in these markets, as well as with new market entrants seeking to capitalize on these opportunities, while successfully navigating changing market conditions or technologies.
Reputation
Imperial’s reputation is an important corporate asset. Factors that could have an impact on the company’s reputation include an operating incident or significant cybersecurity disruption; changes in consumer views concerning the company’s products; changes in consumer media preferences from traditional mainstream media to decentralized and personalized media; a perception by the public that the company is not being fully transparent in the sharing of information regarding its operations that is or may be relevant to community decision-making; actions taken by the company's business partners; a perception by investors or others that insufficient progress is being made with respect to the company’s ambition in the energy transition, or that pursuit of this ambition may result in allocation of capital to investments with reduced returns; divergent and evolving policy, legal and regulatory developments, societal views and investor pressures regarding the energy transition; and other adverse events such as those described in this Item 1A. Negative impacts on Imperial’s reputation could, in turn, make it more difficult for the company to compete successfully for new opportunities, obtain necessary regulatory approvals, obtain financing, and attract talent, or they could reduce customer or consumer demand for the company’s branded products. Imperial’s reputation may also be harmed by events which negatively affect the image of the industry as a whole, including public and investor perception of Alberta oil sands in relation to greenhouse gas emissions, Indigenous rights and environmental impact.
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Reserves
The company’s future production and cash flows from bitumen, synthetic crude oil, liquids and natural gas reserves are highly dependent upon the company’s success in exploiting its current reserves. To maintain production and cash flows over the long term, the company must replace produced reserves, which can be accomplished through exploration discovery of new resources, appraisal and investments in developing discovered resources, or acquisition of reserves. To the extent cash flows from operations are insufficient to fund capital expenditures and external sources of capital become limited or unavailable, the company’s ability to make the necessary capital investments to maintain and grow oil and natural gas reserves will be adversely impacted. In addition, the company may be unable to find and develop or acquire additional reserves to replace oil and natural gas production at acceptable costs.
Estimates of economically recoverable oil and natural gas reserves and future net cash flows involve many uncertainties, including factors beyond the company’s control. Key factors with uncertainty include: geological and engineering estimates, including that additional information obtained through seismic and drilling programs, reservoir analysis and production and operational history may result in revisions to reserves; the assumed effects of regulation or changes to regulation by government agencies, including royalty frameworks and environmental regulations (such as the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, including accelerated timelines and emission reduction stringency to meet government goals, which could impose significant compliance costs on the company, require new technology, or impact the economic viability of certain projects); future commodity prices, where low commodity prices may affect reserves development; abandonment and reclamation costs, including reclamation and tailings requirements for mining operations; and operating costs. Actual production, revenues, taxes and royalties, development costs, abandonment and reclamation costs, and operating expenditures, with respect to reserves, will likely vary from such estimates, and such variances could be material.
Item 1B. Unresolved staff comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Imperial recognizes the importance of cybersecurity in achieving its business objectives, safeguarding its assets, and managing its daily operations. Accordingly, the company integrates cybersecurity risks into its overall enterprise risk management system. The board of directors oversees the company’s risk management approach and structure, which includes an annual review of the company’s cybersecurity program.
The company’s cybersecurity program is managed by the Canada Information Technology (IT) Manager, with support from cross-functional teams led by IT and operational technology cybersecurity operations managers in the company and in Exxon Mobil Corporation and its affiliates (collectively, Cybersecurity Operations Managers). The Cybersecurity Operations Managers are responsible for the day-to-day management and effective functioning of the cybersecurity program, including the prevention, detection, investigation, and response to cybersecurity threats and incidents. The Cybersecurity Operations Managers collectively have many years of experience in cybersecurity operations.
IT management provides updates to the company’s senior management throughout the year, covering, as appropriate, the company’s cybersecurity strategy, initiatives, key security metrics, penetration testing and benchmarking learnings, and business response plans, as well as the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape.
The company’s cybersecurity program includes multi-layered technological capabilities designed to prevent and detect cybersecurity disruptions and leverages industry standard frameworks, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework. The cybersecurity program incorporates an incident response plan to engage cross-functionally and report cybersecurity incidents to appropriate levels of management based on potential impact. The company conducts annual cybersecurity awareness training and routinely tests cybersecurity awareness and business preparedness for response and recovery, which are developed based on real-world threats. In addition, IT management exchanges threat information with governmental and industry groups and proactively engages independent, third-party cybersecurity experts to test, evaluate, and recommend improvements on the effectiveness and resiliency of its cybersecurity program through penetration testing, breach assessments, regular cybersecurity incident drill testing, threat information sharing, and industry benchmarking. The company takes a risk-based approach with respect to its third-party
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service providers, tailoring processes according to the nature and sensitivity of the data or systems accessed by such third-party service providers and performing additional risk screenings and procedures, as appropriate.
As of the date of this report, the company has not identified any risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the company including its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.
While the company believes its cybersecurity program to be appropriate for managing constantly evolving cybersecurity risks, no program can fully protect against all possible adverse events. For additional information on these risks and potential consequences if the measures the company is taking prove to be insufficient or if the company's proprietary data is otherwise not protected, see "Item 1A. Risk factors: Operational and other factors - Cybersecurity" in this report.
Item 2. Properties
Reference is made to Item 1 above.
Item 3. Legal proceedings
Refer to the relevant portions of note 9. "Litigation and other contingencies" of the "Financial section" of this report for additional information on legal proceedings.
Imperial has elected to use a US $1 million threshold for disclosing environmental proceedings.
Item 4. Mine safety disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for registrant’s common equity, related stockholder matters and issuer purchases of equity securities
Market information
The company’s common shares are listed and trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada, and have unlisted trading privileges and trade on the NYSE American LLC in the United States. The symbol for the company’s common shares on these exchanges is IMO.
As of February 11, 2026 there were 8,219holders of record of common shares of the company.
Information for security holders outside Canada
Cash dividends paid to shareholders resident in the United States are, under the Canada-US income tax convention, subject to a Canadian non-resident withholding tax of 15 percent.
The withholding tax is reduced to 5 percent on dividends paid to a corporation resident in the U.S. that owns at least 10 percent of the voting shares of the company. The rate of withholding applicable to other jurisdictions may vary.
The company is a qualified foreign corporation for purposes of the reduced U.S. capital gains tax rates, which are applicable to dividends paid by U.S. domestic corporations and qualified foreign corporations.
There is no Canadian tax on gains from selling shares owned by non-residents not carrying on business in Canada, as long as the shareholder does not, in any given 60-month period, own 25 percent or more of the shares of the company.
Canada has approved several positions with respect to the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("MLI"), which may impact the taxability of dividends and capital gains in Canada if the shareholder’s country of residence has also approved these same positions of the MLI.
The foregoing tax information is not intended to provide legal or tax advice, and shareholders are encouraged to consult a professional advisor with respect to all tax-related issues.
During the fourth quarter, the company did not issue or sell any unregistered equity securities.
Securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans
Sections of the company’s management proxy circular are contained in the "Proxy information section", starting on page 113. The company’s management proxy circular is prepared in accordance with Canadian securities regulations.
Reference is made to the sections under the "Company executives and executive compensation":
•Entitled "Performance graph" within the "Compensation discussion and analysis" section on page 168 of this report; and
•Entitled "Equity compensation plan information", within the "Compensation discussion and analysis", on page 181 of this report.
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Issuer purchases of equity securities
The company will continue to evaluate the renewal of its normal course issuer bid share purchase program in June 2026 in the context of its overall capital activities. Purchase plans may be modified at any time without prior notice.
Item 7. Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations
Reference is made to the section entitled "Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations" in the "Financial section", starting on page 50 of this report.
Item 7A. Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk
Reference is made to the section entitled "Market risks" in the "Financial section", starting on page65 of this report. All statements other than historical information incorporated in this Item 7A are forward-looking statements. The actual impact of future market changes could differ materially due to, among other things, factors discussed in this report.
Item 8. Financial statements and supplementary data
Reference is made to the table of contents in the "Financial section" on page 44 of this report:
•Consolidated financial statements, together with the report thereon of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PCAOB ID: 271), Calgary, Canada dated February 18, 2026, beginning with the section entitled "Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" on page 72 and continuing through note 17, "Other comprehensive income (loss) information" on page 108;
•"Supplemental information on oil and gas exploration and production activities" (unaudited) starting on page 109.
Item 9. Changes in and disagreements with accountants on accounting and financial disclosure
None.
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Item 9A. Controls and procedures
As indicated in the certifications in Exhibit 31 of this report, the company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have evaluated the company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2025. Based on that evaluation, these officers have concluded that the company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is accumulated and communicated to them in a manner that allows for timely decisions regarding required disclosures and are effective in ensuring that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.
Reference is made to page 71 of this report for "Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting" and page 72 for the "Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" on the company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025.
There has not been any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting during the last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other information
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, none of the company's directors or officers adopted or terminated a "Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" or "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement," as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. Disclosure regarding foreign jurisdiction that prevents inspections
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, executive officers and corporate governance
Sections of the company’s management proxy circular are contained in the "Proxy information section", starting on page 113. The company’s management proxy circular is prepared in accordance with Canadian securities regulations.
The company currently has eight directors. The articles of the company require that the board have between five and fifteen directors. Each director is elected to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting. Each of the seven individuals listed in the section entitled "Nominees for director" on pages 114 to 118 of this report have been nominated for election at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held May 4, 2026. All of the nominees are now directors and have been since the dates indicated. D.W. Cornhill is currently a director and is not standing for re-election in 2026 as he has reached the company’s mandatory retirement age for directors.
In February 2025, B.W. Corson, then chairman, president and chief executive officer, announced his intention to retire in 2025 and to not stand for re-election as director at the May 8, 2025 annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Corson was succeeded as president by J.R. Whelan on April 1, 2025, and continued as chairman and chief executive officer until his retirement from those positions on May 8, 2025. In connection with B.W. Corson’s retirement, J.R. Whelan was appointed as president effective April 1, 2025, and he assumed the additional roles of chairman and chief executive officer on May 8, 2025.
Reference is made to the section under "Nominees for director":
•"Director nominee tables", on pages 114 to 118 of this report.
Reference is made to the sections under "Corporate governance disclosure":
•"Skills and experience of our board members and nominees", on page 123 of this report;
•"Other public company directorships of our board members and nominees", on page 128 of this report;
•The table entitled "Audit committee" under "Board and committee structure", on page 137 of this report;
•"Ethical business conduct", starting on page 149 of this report;
•"Restrictions on insider trading", starting on page 150 of this report; and
•"Largest shareholders", on page 153 of this report.
Reference is made to the sections under "Company executives and executive compensation":
•"Named executive officers of the company" and "Other executive officers of the company", on pages 155 to 156 of this report.
Item 11. Executive compensation
Sections of the company’s management proxy circular are contained in the "Proxy information section", starting on page 113. The company’s management proxy circular is prepared in accordance with Canadian securities regulations.
Reference is made to the sections under "Corporate governance disclosure":
•"Director compensation", on pages 141 to 148 of this report; and
•"Share ownership guidelines of independent directors and chairman, president and chief executive officer", on page 148 of this report.
Reference is made to the following sections under "Company executives and executive compensation":
•"Letter to shareholders", on page 158 of this report; and
•"Compensation discussion and analysis", on pages 157 to 185 of this report.
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Item 12. Security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management and related stockholder matters
The following table sets forth, to the extent known by the company or ascertainable from public filings, each person, or group of affiliated persons, who is known by the company to beneficially own greater than 5.0% of the company's outstanding common shares as of December 31, 2025. Any fractional shares have been rounded to the nearest whole share.
Sections of the company’s management proxy circular are contained in the "Proxy information section", starting on page 113. The company’s management proxy circular is prepared in accordance with Canadian securities regulations.
Reference is made to the section under "Company executives and executive compensation" entitled "Equity compensation plan information", within the "Compensation discussion and analysis" section, on page 181 of this report.
Reference is also made to the security ownership information for directors and executive officers of the company under the preceding Items 10 and 11. The compensation of the directors and executive officers of the company for the year ended December 31, 2025 is described in the sections under "Nominees for director" starting on page 114, "Director compensation" starting on page 141 and "Company executives and executive compensation" starting on page 155. The following table shows the number of Imperial Oil Limited and Exxon Mobil Corporation common shares and restricted stock units beneficially owned by each named executive officer, and the incumbent directors and executive officers as a group, as of February 11, 2026.
Imperial Oil Limited Exxon Mobil Corporation
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Item 13. Certain relationships and related transactions, and director independence
Sections of the company’s management proxy circular are contained in the "Proxy information section", starting on page 113. The company’s management proxy circular is prepared in accordance with Canadian securities regulations.
Reference is made to the section under "Corporate governance disclosure" entitled "Independence of our board members and nominees", on page 124 of this report.
Reference is made to the section under "Corporate governance disclosure" entitled "Transactions with Exxon Mobil Corporation", on page 154 of this report.
N.A. Hansen and T.T. Bryja are deemed under the relevant standards to be non-independent members of the board of directors and the committees on which they have served (in 2025, they were each members of the executive resources committee, safety and sustainability committee, nominations and corporate governance committee and finance committee; as of January 29, 2026, in connection with the board’s periodic review of its governance structures and practices, the executive resources committee and the nominations and corporate governance committee consist solely of independent directors, and as a result T.T. Bryja and N.A. Hansen ceased serving on those two committees). As employees of Exxon Mobil Corporation, N.A. Hansen and T.T. Bryja are each independent of the company’s management and are able to assist these committees by reflecting the perspective of the company’s shareholders.
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Item 14. Principal accountant fees and services
Auditor information
The audit committee of the board of directors recommends that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) be reappointed as the auditor of the company until the close of the next annual meeting. PwC has been the auditor of the company for more than five years and is located in Calgary, Alberta. PwC is a participating audit firm with the Canadian Public Accountability Board and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB).
Auditor fees
The aggregate fees of PwC for professional services rendered for the audit of the company’s financial statements and other services for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 were as follows:
Audit-related fees 95 90
Tax fees — —
All other fees — —
Audit fees included the audit of the company’s annual financial statements, internal control over financial reporting, and a review of the first three quarterly financial statements in 2025. Audit-related fees consisted of other assurance services including the audit of the company’s retirement plan and royalty statement audits for oil and gas producing entities. The company did not engage the auditor for any other services.
The audit committee formally and annually evaluates the performance of the external auditor, recommends the external auditor to be appointed by the shareholders, recommends their remuneration and oversees their work. The audit committee also approves the proposed current year audit program of the external auditor, assesses the results of the program after the end of the program period and approves in advance any non-audit services to be performed by the external auditor after considering the effect of such services on their independence.
All of the services rendered by the auditor to the company were approved by the audit committee.
Auditor independence
The audit committee periodically discusses with PwC their independence from the company and from management. PwC have confirmed that they are independent with respect to the company within the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta, the PCAOB and the rules of the SEC. The company has concluded that the auditor’s independence has been maintained.
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PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, financial statement schedules
Reference is made to the table of contents in the "Financial section" on page 44 of this report.
The following exhibits, numbered in accordance with Item 601 of Regulation S-K, are filed as part of this report:
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(101) Interactive Data Files (formatted as Inline XBRL).
Copies of Exhibits may be acquired upon written request of any shareholder to the vice-president, investor relations, Imperial Oil Limited, 505 Quarry Park Boulevard S.E., Calgary, Alberta T2C 5N1, and payment of processing and mailing costs.
Item 16. Form 10-K summary
Not applicable.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf on February 18, 2026 by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Imperial Oil Limited
by_____/s/ John R. Whelan
(John R. Whelan)
Chairman, president and chief executive officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below on February 18, 2026 by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated.
Signature Title
(John R. Whelan)
(Daniel E. Lyons)
/s/ Tanya T. Bryja Director
(Tanya T. Bryja)
/s/ David W. Cornhill Director
(David W. Cornhill)
/s/ Sharon R. Driscoll Director
(Sharon R. Driscoll)
/s/ John N. Floren Director
(John N. Floren)
/s/ Gary J. Goldberg Director
(Gary J. Goldberg)
/s/ Neil A. Hansen Director
(Neil A. Hansen)
/s/ Miranda C. Hubbs Director
(Miranda C. Hubbs)
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Financial section
Table of contents Page
Financial information (U.S. GAAP) 45
Frequently used terms 46
Overview 50
Business environment 51
Business results 54
Liquidity and capital resources 61
Capital and exploration expenditures 64
Market risks 65
Critical accounting estimates 67
Management’s report on internal control over financial reporting 71
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 72
Consolidated statement of income (U.S. GAAP) 74
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income (U.S. GAAP) 75
Consolidated balance sheet (U.S. GAAP) 76
Consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity (U.S. GAAP) 77
Consolidated statement of cash flows (U.S. GAAP) 78
Notes to consolidated financial statements 79
1. Summary of significant accounting policies 79
2. Business segments 85
3. Income taxes 88
4. Employee retirement benefits 90
5. Other long-term obligations 95
6. Financial and derivative instruments 96
7. Share-based incentive compensation programs 98
8. Investment and other income 99
9. Litigation and other contingencies 99
11. Miscellaneous financial information 101
12. Financing and additional notes and loans payable information 103
15. Accounting for suspended exploratory well costs 106
16. Transactions with related parties 107
17. Other comprehensive income (loss) information 108
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Financial information (U.S. GAAP)
Net income (loss):
Cash and cash equivalents at year-end 1,142 979 864
Per share information (Canadian dollars)
Net income (loss) per common share - basic 6.50 9.05 8.51
Net income (loss) per common share - diluted 6.48 9.03 8.49
Dividends per common share - declared 2.88 2.40 1.94
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Frequently used terms
Listed below are definitions of several of the company’s key business and financial performance measures. The definitions are provided to facilitate understanding of the terms and how they are calculated. Certain measures included in this document are not prescribed by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These measures constitute "non-GAAP financial measures" under Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation G and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K, and "specified financial measures" under National Instrument 52-112 Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosureof the Canadian Securities Administrators.
Reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measure, and other information required by these regulations, have been provided. Non-GAAP financial measures and specified financial measures are not standardized financial measures under GAAP and do not have a standardized definition. As such, these measures may not be directly comparable to measures presented by other companies, and should not be considered a substitute for GAAP financial measures.
Capital employed
Capital employed is a non-GAAP financial measure that is a measurement of net investment. When viewed from the perspective of how capital is used by the business, it includes the company’s property, plant and equipment and other assets, less liabilities, excluding both short-term and long-term debt. When viewed from the perspective of the sources of capital employed in total for the company, it includes total debt and equity. The most directly comparable financial measure that is disclosed in the financial statements is total assets within the company’s Consolidated balance sheet. Both of these views include the company’s share of amounts applicable to equity companies, which the company believes should be included to provide a more comprehensive measurement of capital employed.
Reconciliation of capital employed
From the Consolidated balance sheet
Business uses: asset and liability perspective
Total long-term liabilities excluding long-term debt (9,461) (8,466) (8,363)
Add: Imperial’s share of equity company debt 13 25 21
Total company sources: debt and equity perspective
Add: Imperial’s share of equity company debt 13 25 21
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Return on average capital employed (ROCE)
ROCE is a non-GAAP ratio. The company's total ROCE is net income excluding the after-tax cost of financing divided by total average capital employed (an average of the beginning and end-of-year amounts). Net income includes Imperial’s share of net income of equity companies, consistent with the definition used for capital employed, and excludes the cost of financing. Capital employed is a non-GAAP financial measure and is disclosed and reconciled above. The company has consistently applied its ROCE definition for many years and views it as one of the best measures of historical capital productivity in a capital-intensive, long-term industry. Additional measures, which are more cash flow based, are used to make investment decisions.
Components of return on average capital employed
From the Consolidated statement of income
Financing (after-tax) including Imperial’s share of equity companies 30 43 66
Return on average capital employed (percent) – corporate total 12.3 17.9 18.7
Cash flows from (used in) operating activities and asset sales
Cash flows from operating activities and asset sales is a non-GAAP financial measure that is the sum of the net cash provided by operating activities and proceeds from asset sales reported in the Consolidated statement of cash flows. This cash flow reflects the total sources of cash both from operating the company’s assets and from the divesting of assets. The most directly comparable financial measure that is disclosed in the financial statements is cash flows from (used in) operating activities within the company’s Consolidated statement of cash flows. The company employs a long-standing and regular disciplined review process to ensure that assets are contributing to the company’s strategic objectives. Assets are divested when they no longer meet these objectives or are worth considerably more to others. Because of the regular nature of this activity, the company believes it is useful for investors to consider sales proceeds together with cash provided by operating activities when evaluating cash available for investment in the business and financing activities, including shareholder distributions.
Reconciliation of cash flows from (used in) operating activities and asset sales
From the Consolidated statement of cash flows
Cash flows from (used in) operating activities 6,708 5,981 3,734
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Operating costs
Operating costs is a non-GAAP financial measure that is the costs during the period to produce, manufacture, and otherwise prepare the company’s products for sale – including energy costs, staffing and maintenance costs. It excludes the cost of raw materials, taxes and interest expense and is presented on a before-tax basis. The most directly comparable financial measure that is disclosed in the financial statements is total expenses within the company’s Consolidated statement of income. While the company is responsible for all revenue and expense elements of net income, operating costs represent the expenses most directly under the company’s control and therefore, are useful in evaluating the company’s performance.
Reconciliation of operating costs
From the Consolidated statement of income
Less:
Imperial's share of equity company expenses 67 80 76
Components of operating costs
From the Consolidated statement of income
Non-service pension and postretirement benefit 41 3 82
Exploration 7 3 5
Imperial's share of equity company expenses 67 80 76
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Net income (loss) excluding identified items
Net income (loss) excluding identified items is a non-GAAP financial measure that is total net income (loss) excluding individually significant non-operational events with an absolute corporate total earnings impact of at least $100 million in a given quarter. The net income (loss) impact of an identified item for an individual segment may be less than $100 million when the item impacts several segments or several periods. The most directly comparable financial measure that is disclosed in the financial statements is "Net income (loss)" within the company’s Consolidated statement of income. Management uses these figures to improve comparability of the underlying business across multiple periods by isolating and removing significant non-operational events from business results. The company believes this view provides investors increased transparency into business results and trends, and provides investors with a view of the business as seen through the eyes of management. Net income (loss) excluding identified items is not meant to be viewed in isolation or as a substitute for net income (loss) as prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All identified items are presented on an after-tax basis.
Reconciliation of net income (loss) excluding identified items
From the Consolidated statement of income
Less identified items included in Net income (loss)
Impairments (570) — —
Restructuring charges (249) — —
Other (a) (212) — —
Subtotal of identified items (1,031) — —
Net income (loss) excluding identified items 4,299 4,790 4,889
(a) Contractual obligations associated with the Norman Wells end of field life acceleration.
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Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations
Overview
The following discussion and analysis of the company’s financial results, as well as the accompanying financial statements and related notes to consolidated financial statements to which they refer, are the responsibility of the management of Imperial Oil Limited.
The company’s accounting and financial reporting fairly reflect its integrated business model involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas; manufacture, trade, transport and sale of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals and a variety of specialty products; and pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels, and lithium.
Imperial, with its resource base, financial strength, disciplined investment approach and technology portfolio, is well-positioned to participate in substantial investments to develop new Canadian energy supplies. The company’s reportable segments are Upstream, Downstream, and Chemicals. The company’s integrated business model generally reduces the company’s risk from changes in commodity prices. While commodity prices depend on supply and demand and may be volatile on a short-term basis, the company’s investment decisions are grounded on fundamentals reflected in its long-term business outlook, and use a disciplined approach in selecting and pursuing the most attractive investment opportunities. The annual company plan process establishes the economic assumptions used for evaluating investments and sets operating and capital objectives. ExxonMobil's Global Outlook (the Outlook), developed annually, is the foundation for the plan assumptions. Price ranges for crude oil, including price differentials, refinery and chemical margins, volumes, operating costs including greenhouse gas emissions pricing, and foreign currency exchange rates are part of the company plan assumptions developed annually. Company plan volume projections are based on individual field production profiles, which are also updated at least annually. Major investment opportunities are evaluated over a range of potential market conditions. All major investments are reappraised to ensure the company learns from its investment decisions, and the development and execution of the project. Lessons learned are incorporated into future projects.
The term "project" as used in this report can refer to a variety of different activities and does not necessarily have the same meaning as in any government payment transparency reports.
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Business environment
Long-term business outlook
The "Long-term business outlook" is based on Exxon Mobil Corporation’s Global Outlook (the Outlook), which combined with the near-term pathways, is used to help inform the company’s long-term business strategies and investment plans.
The company’s business planning is underpinned by a deep understanding of long-term market fundamentals. These fundamentals include supply and demand trends; the scale and variety of energy needs worldwide; capability, practicality and affordability of energy alternatives, including lower-carbon solutions; greenhouse gas emission-reduction technologies; and relevant government policies. The Outlook considers these fundamentals to form the basis for the company’s long-term business planning, investment decisions, and research programs. The Outlook reflects the company’s view of global energy demand and supply through 2050. It is a projection based on current trends in technology, government policies, consumer preferences, geopolitics, and economic development.
The Outlook uses projections and scenarios from reputable third parties such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Included in the range of these scenarios are: the IPCC Likely Below 2°C scenarios and three scenarios from the IEA; IEA Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS; 2025 World Energy Outlook (WEO)), which reflects a sector-by-sector assessment of current policy in place and those announced by governments; IEA Announced Pledges Scenario (APS; 2024 WEO), which reflects aspirational government targets met on time and in full; and IEA Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE; 2025 WEO), which the IEA describes as highly ambitious and challenging, acknowledging that society is not currently on the IEA NZE pathway. No single transition pathway can be reasonably predicted, given the wide range of uncertainties. Key unknowns include yet-to-be-developed or changes in developed government policies, market conditions, and advances in technology that may influence the cost, pace, and potential availability of certain pathways. Scenarios that employ a full complement of technology options are likely to provide the most economically efficient pathways.
Using the company's own experts and third-party sources, the company monitors a variety of signposts that may indicate a potential shift in the energy transition. For example, the regional pace of the transition could be influenced by the cost of new technologies compared to existing or alternative energy sources.
By 2050, the world’s population is projected to be around 9.7 billion people, or nearly 2 billion more than in 2024. Coincident with this population increase, the Outlook projects worldwide economic growth to average approximately 2.5 percent per year, with economic output nearly doubling by 2050 compared to 2024. As economies and populations grow, and as living standards improve for billions of people, the need for energy is expected to continue to rise. Even with significant efficiency gains, global energy demand is projected to rise by over 10 percent from 2024 to 2050. This increase in energy demand is expected to be driven by developing countries (i.e., those that are not member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)). By contrast, energy use in developed nations is expected to decline by more than 10 percent as efficiency improves.
As expanding prosperity drives global energy demand higher, increasing use of energy-efficient technologies and practices, as well as lower-emission products, will continue to help significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions per unit of economic output over time. Substantial efficiency gains are likely in all key aspects of the world’s economy through 2050, affecting energy requirements for power generation, transportation, industrial applications, and residential and commercial needs.
Under the Outlook, global electricity demand is expected to increase more than 70 percent from 2024 to 2050, with developing countries likely to account for approximately 80 percent of the increase. Consistent with this projection, power generation is expected to remain the largest and fastest growing major segment of global primary energy demand, supported by a wide variety of energy sources. The share of coal-fired generation is expected to decline substantially to approximately 15 percent of the world’s electricity in 2050, versus approximately 35 percent in 2024, in part due to policies to improve air quality as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address risks related to climate change. From 2024 to 2050, the amount of electricity supplied using natural gas, nuclear power, and renewables is expected to more than double, accounting for the entire growth in electricity supplies and offsetting the reduction of coal. Electricity from wind and solar is expected to increase nearly 400 percent, helping total renewables (including other sources, e.g., hydropower) to account for approximately 90 percent of the increase in electricity supplies through 2050. Total renewables are expected to
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reach over 50 percent of global electricity supplies by 2050. Natural gas and nuclear are expected to be about 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of global electricity supplies by 2050. Supplies of electricity by energy type will reflect significant differences across regions reflecting a wide range of factors, including the cost and availability of various energy supplies and policy developments.
Energy for transportation - including cars, trucks, ships, trains, and airplanes - is expected to increase by nearly 25 percent from 2024 to 2050. Transportation energy demand is expected to account for over 50 percent of the growth in liquid fuels demand worldwide over this period. Light-duty vehicle demand for liquid fuels is projected to have peaked this decade, and then decline to levels seen in the early-2010s by 2050, as the impact of better fuel economy and significant growth in electric cars, led by China, Europe, and the United States, work to offset growth in the worldwide car fleet of approximately 60 percent. By 2050, light-duty vehicles are expected to account for around 20 percent of global liquid fuels demand. During the same time period, nearly all the world’s commercial transportation fleets are expected to continue to run on liquid fuels, including biofuels, which are expected to be widely available and offer practical advantages in providing a large quantity of energy in small volumes.
Almost half of the world’s energy use is dedicated to industrial activity. As the global middle class continues to grow, demand for durable products, appliances, and consumable goods will increase. Industry uses energy products both as a fuel and as a feedstock for chemicals, asphalt, lubricants, waxes, and other specialty products. The Outlook anticipates technology advances, as well as the increasing shift toward cleaner forms of energy, such as electricity and natural gas, with coal declining. Demand for oil will continue to grow as a feedstock for industry.
As populations grow and prosperity rises, more energy will be needed to power homes, offices, schools, shopping centers, hospitals, etc. Combined residential and commercial energy demand is projected to rise by around 15 percent through 2050. Led by the growing economies of developing nations, average worldwide household electricity use is expected to rise more than 60 percent between 2024 and 2050.
Liquid fuels provide the largest share of global energy supplies today reflecting broad-based availability, affordability, ease of transportation, and fitness as a practical solution to meet a wide variety of needs. By 2050, global demand for liquid fuels is projected to grow to nearly 115 million oil-equivalent barrels per day, an increase of about 10 percent from 2024. The non-OECD share of global liquid fuels demand is expected to increase to about 70 percent by 2050, as liquid fuels demand in the OECD is expected to decline by more than 25 percent. Much of the global liquid fuels demand today is met by crude production from conventional sources; these supplies will remain important, and significant development activity is expected to offset much of the natural declines from these fields. At the same time, a variety of supply sources - including tight oil, deepwater, oil sands, natural gas liquids, and biofuels - are expected to grow to help meet rising demand. Timely investments will remain critical to meeting global needs with reliable and affordable supplies.
Natural gas is a lower-emission, versatile and practical fuel for a wide variety of applications. Global natural gas demand is expected to rise nearly 20 percent from 2024 to 2050, with approximately 70 percent of that increase coming from the Asia Pacific region. Significant growth in supplies of unconventional gas - the natural gas found in shale and other tight rock formations - will help meet these needs. In total, over 40 percent of the growth in natural gas supplies is expected to come from unconventional sources. At the same time, conventionally-produced natural gas is likely to remain the cornerstone of global supply, meeting around two-thirds of worldwide demand in 2050. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade will expand significantly, meeting about 75 percent of the increase in global demand growth, with much of this supply expected to help meet rising demand in the Asia Pacific region.
The world’s energy mix is highly diverse and will remain so through 2050. Oil is expected to continue as the largest source of energy with its share remaining close to 30 percent in 2050. Coal and natural gas are the next largest sources of energy today, with the share of natural gas growing to more than 25 percent by 2050, while the share of coal falls to about half that of natural gas. Nuclear power is projected to grow, as many nations are likely to expand nuclear capacity to address rising electricity needs as well as energy security and environmental issues. Total renewable energy is expected to exceed 20 percent of global energy by 2050, with other renewables (e.g., biomass, hydropower, geothermal) contributing a combined share of more than 10 percent. Total energy supplied from wind and solar is expected to increase rapidly, growing nearly 350 percent from 2024 to 2050, when they are projected to be greater than 10 percent of the world energy mix.
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Decarbonization of industrial activities will require a suite of lower-carbon technologies supported by stable policies. Lower-emission fuels, hydrogen-based fuels, and carbon capture and storage are three key lower-carbon solutions needed to support a lower-emission future, in addition to wind and solar. Along with electrification, lower-emission fuels are expected to play an important role in decarbonization of the transportation sector, particularly in hard-to-decarbonize areas, such as aviation. Low-carbon hydrogen will be a key enabler replacing traditional furnace fuel to decarbonize the industrial sector. Hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels like ammonia are also expected to make inroads into commercial transportation as technology improves to lower its cost and policy develops to support the needed infrastructure development. Carbon capture and storage on its own, or in combination with hydrogen production, is among the few proven technologies that could enable CO2 emission reductions from high-emitting and hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as power generation and heavy industries, including manufacturing, refining, and petrochemicals.
The Outlook projects that oil demand will remain above 100 million barrels per day to 2050. And even under the average of IPCC Likely Below 2°C scenarios, oil demand still comes to 65 million barrels per day in 2050 – about two thirds of current consumption.
The Outlook shows oil production declines at a rate of about 15 percent per year. At that rate, in the absence of continued investment, by 2030 oil supplies would fall from 100 million barrels per day to less than 30 million barrels, more than 70 million barrels per day short of what is needed to meet demand. Limiting investment to only existing fields would slow the decline to about 4 percent, however, this would still be well below the oil demand in the average of IPCC Likely Below 2°C scenarios.
To meet projected demand, the company anticipates that the world’s available oil and gas resource base will grow, not only from new discoveries, but also from increases in previously discovered fields. Technology will underpin these increases. The investments to develop and supply resources to meet global demand through 2050 will be significant and would be needed to meet even rapidly declining demand for oil and gas envisioned in aggressive decarbonization scenarios.
International accords and underlying regional and national regulations covering greenhouse gas emissions continue to evolve with uncertain timing and outcome, making it difficult to predict their business impact. The company’s estimates of potential costs related to greenhouse gas emissions align with applicable provincial and federal regulations. Additionally, the company uses the Outlookas a foundation for estimating energy supply and demand requirements from various energy sources and uses, and the Outlook takes into account policies established to reduce energy related greenhouse gas emissions. The climate accord reached at the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris set many new goals, and many related policies are still emerging. The Outlookreflects an environment with increasingly stringent climate policies and seeks to identify potential impacts of these climate related government policies, which often target specific sectors. For purposes of the Outlook, a proxy cost on energy-related CO2 emissions is assumed, based on regional considerations and relative levels of economic development, and by 2050, reaches up to $150 USD per metric ton for OECD nations and up to $100 USD per metric ton for non-OECD nations. As people and nations look for ways to reduce risks of global climate change, they will continue to need practical solutions that do not jeopardize the affordability or reliability of the energy they need. The company continues to monitor the updates to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are submitted by nations that are signatories to the Paris Agreement, as well as other policy developments in light of net-zero ambitions formulated by some nations, including Canada.
The information provided in the Outlook includes ExxonMobil's internal estimates and projections based upon internal data and analyses, as well as publicly available information from external sources including the International Energy Agency.
Progress reducing emissions
Practical solutions to the world’s energy and climate challenges will benefit from market competition in addition to well-informed, well-designed and transparent policy approaches that carefully weigh costs and benefits. Such policies are likely to help manage the risks of climate change while also enabling societies to pursue other high priority goals around the world – including clean air and water, access to reliable and affordable energy, and economic progress for all people. The company encourages sound policy solutions that reduce climate-related risks across the economy at the lowest societal cost. All practical and economically viable energy sources will need to be pursued to continue meeting global energy demand, recognizing the scale and variety of worldwide energy needs, as well as the importance of expanding access to modern energy to promote better standards of living for billions of people.
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As part of the company’s efforts to provide solutions that lower the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of its operations and provide lower life-cycle emissions products to customers, the company will continue to evaluate and deploy technologies such as oil sands technologies that use less steam, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency projects, and low-emissions fuels. Decisions to deploy these technologies will be informed by market conditions and government policies.
Recent business environment
During 2025, the price of crude oil decreased relative to 2024, as increased OPEC+ output, record U.S. production, and global economic growth deceleration created a significant supply‐demand imbalance, while brief geopolitical price spikes faded quickly and failed to counter the broader downward pressure. In addition, the Canadian WTI/WCS spread narrowed as expanded TMX export capacity improved market access, while steady U.S. refinery demand and reduced western Canadian inventories in the second quarter, driven by turnarounds and wildfire‐related supply impacts, further tightened the differential. Industry refining margins improved in 2025, influenced by geopolitical factors and supply disruptions. The company closely monitors market trends and works to mitigate both operating and capital cost impacts in all price environments.
During 2025, the United States announced a variety of trade-related actions, including the imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada and several other countries. In response, Canada announced its own retaliatory tariffs. Despite the current uncertainty as to what effects these actions will ultimately have on Imperial, its suppliers and its customers, the company does not anticipate any material near-term financial impacts.
Business results
Consolidated
Identified items1 included in Net income (loss)
Impairments (570) — —
Restructuring charges (249) — —
Other (a) (212) — —
Subtotal of identified items1 (1,031) — —
(a) Contractual obligations associated with the Norman Wells end of field life acceleration.
2025
Net income in 2025 was $3,268 million, or $6.48 per share on a diluted basis, compared to $4,790 million, or $9.03 per share in 2024. Current year results include identified items1 of: $320 million after-tax ($421 million before-tax) related to the Norman Wells end of field life acceleration; a $306 million after-tax ($406 million before-tax) non-cash impairment charge of the Calgary Imperial Campus; a $249 million after-tax ($330 million before-tax) restructuring charge; and a one-time $156 million after-tax ($206 million before-tax) charge associated with the optimization of materials and supplies inventory.
2024
Net income in 2024 was $4,790 million, or $9.03 per share on a diluted basis, compared to $4,889 million, or $8.49 per share in 2023.
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Upstream
Overview
The company produces crude oil and natural gas for sale predominantly into North American markets. The company’s Upstream business strategies guide the company’s exploration, development, production, research and gas marketing activities. These strategies include improving asset reliability, accelerating development and application of high impact technologies, maximizing value by capturing new business opportunities and managing the existing portfolio, as well as pursuing sustainable improvements in organizational efficiency and effectiveness. These strategies are underpinned by a relentless focus on operations integrity, commitment to innovative technologies, disciplined approach to investing and cost management, development of employees and investment in the communities within which the company operates.
The company has a significant oil and gas resource base and a large inventory of potential projects. The company’s current investment strategy is to invest for value and select volume growth, with focus on optimization within existing assets, cost reduction opportunities and productivity enhancements that aim to deliver robust returns at a wide range of prices. The company also continues to evaluate opportunities to support long-term growth. Although actual volumes typically vary from year to year, the focus is on value-add, long-term growth opportunities within the context of the factors described in "Item 1A. Risk factors". The company continually evaluates opportunities, including the pace of development for the Aspen project.
Prices for most of the company's crude oil sold are referenced to Western Canada Select (WCS) and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil markets. Additionally, the market price for WCS is typically lower than light and medium grades of oil, and price differentials between WCS and WTI can fluctuate.
The company believes prices over the long term will be driven by market supply and demand, with the demand side largely being a function of general economic activity, alternative energy sources, levels of prosperity, technology advancements, consumer preference and government policies. On the supply side, prices may be significantly impacted by political events, logistics constraints, the actions of OPEC or OPEC+, governments, alternative energy sources, and other factors. To manage the risks associated with price, the company tests the resiliency of its annual plans and all major investments across a range of price scenarios.
Key events
Upstream assets demonstrated strong operational performance in 2025. The company continued to benefit from its actions implemented in prior years to manage the cost structure and improve the reliability of its assets, enabling the Upstream to capture significant value.
Upstream full-year production averaged 438,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day.
At Kearl, gross production was about 280,000 barrels per day (199,000 barrels Imperial’s share), which is a decrease of about 1,000 barrels per day (1,000 barrels Imperial's share) compared to 2024.
At Cold Lake, annual production averaged 151,000 barrels per day, which is an increase of about 3,000 barrels per day compared to 2024.
At Syncrude, annual production averaged 79,000 barrels per day, which is an increase of about 4,000 barrels per day compared to 2024.
As described in more detail in "Item 1A. Risk factors", environmental risks and climate related regulations could have negative impacts on the upstream business.
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Results of operations
2025 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Price – Average bitumen realizations decreased by $7.52 per barrel, primarily driven by lower marker prices partially offset by narrowing WTI/WCS spread and favourable diluent. Synthetic crude oil realizations decreased by $12.92 per barrel, primarily driven by lower WTI.
Volume – Inventory impacts partially offset by higher production.
Royalty – Lower royalties were primarily driven by lower commodity prices.
Other – Primarily due to favourable foreign exchange impacts of about $190 million.
Identified items1 – $320 million after-tax ($421 million before-tax) related to the Norman Wells end of field life acceleration and a separate one-time $100 million after-tax ($131 million before-tax) charge associated with the Upstream portion of the optimization of materials and supplies inventory.
2024 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Price – Average bitumen realizations increased by $7.11 per barrel, primarily driven by the narrowing WTI/WCS spread and lower diluent costs, partially offset by lower marker prices. Synthetic crude oil realizations decreased by $3.66 per barrel, primarily driven by a weaker Synthetic/WTI spread and lower WTI.
Volume – Higher volumes were primarily driven by Grand Rapids production at Cold Lake, as well as improved mine fleet productivity and optimized turnaround at Kearl.
Royalty – Higher royalties were primarily driven by higher volumes and prices.
Other – Primarily due to lower operating expenses of about $210 million, mainly driven by lower energy prices, and favourable foreign exchange impacts of about $120 million, partially offset by lower electricity sales at Cold Lake due to lower prices.
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Marker prices and average realizations
Natural gas (per thousand cubic feet) 1.76 0.69 2.58
Average foreign exchange rate (US$) 0.72 0.73 0.74
Crude oil - production and sales (a)
gross net gross net gross net
Conventional crude oil 4 4 5 5 5 5
Bitumen sales, including diluent (c) 475 471 442
Natural gas - production and production available for sale (a)
gross net gross net gross net
Production available for sale (f) 8 9 11
2024
Higher bitumen production was mainly attributable to Grands Rapids production at Cold Lake, as well as improved mine fleet productivity and optimized turnaround at Kearl.
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Downstream
Overview
The company’s Downstream serves predominantly Canadian markets with refining, trading, logistics and marketing activities. The company's Downstream business strategies competitively position the company across a range of market conditions. These strategies include targeting industry-leading performance in reliability, safety and operations integrity, as well as maximizing value from advanced technologies, capitalizing on integration across the company’s businesses, selectively investing for resilient and advantaged returns, operating efficiently and effectively, and providing quality, valued and differentiated products and services to customers.
The company owns and operates three refineries in Canada with aggregate distillation capacity of 434,000 barrels per day. Refining margins are largely driven by differences in commodity prices and are a function of the difference between what a refinery pays for its raw materials (primarily crude oil) and the market prices for the range of products produced (primarily gasoline, heating oil, diesel oil, jet fuel, fuel oil and asphalt). Crude oil and many products are widely traded with published prices, including those quoted on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices for these commodities are determined by the global and regional marketplaces and are influenced by many factors, including global and regional supply/demand balances, inventory levels, industry refinery operations, import/export balances, currency fluctuations, seasonal demand, weather and geopolitical considerations. While industry refining margins significantly impact earnings, strong operational performance, product mix optimization, and disciplined cost control are also critical to the company's strong financial performance. The company's integration across the value chain, from refining to marketing, enhances overall value across the fuels business.
Key events
Refining margins strengthened in 2025 driven by strong distillate demand and relatively low inventory levels due to global supply disruptions. The company continues to closely monitor industry and global economic conditions.
In January 2023, the company fully funded the Strathcona renewable diesel project, the largest such facility in Canada, located at Strathcona refinery. The facility uses hydrogen, locally sourced and grown feedstocks and the company's proprietary catalyst to produce renewable diesel. Facility construction commenced in 2023 and was completed and commissioned with first on-spec renewable diesel produced in July 2025 bringing lower-emission fuels to market.
As described in more detail in "Item 1A. Risk factors", proposed carbon policy and other climate related regulations, as well as continued biofuels mandates, could have negative impacts on the Downstream business.
The company supplies petroleum products through Esso and Mobil-branded sites and independent marketers. At the end of 2025, there were about 2,600 sites operating under a branded wholesaler model, in alignment with Esso and Mobil brand standards, whereby the company supplies fuel to independent third parties.
Results of operations
2025 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Margins – Higher margins primarily reflect improved market conditions.
Other – Primarily due to higher operating expenses of about $140 million driven by higher energy costs, additional maintenance in the company's eastern manufacturing hub of about $70 million, and unfavourable wholesale volume impacts of about $60 million, partially offset by lower turnaround impacts of about $100 million.
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2024 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Margins – Lower margins primarily reflect weaker market conditions.
Other –Primarily due to lower turnaround impacts of about $120 million and favourable foreign exchange impacts of about $110 million, partially offset by lower volumes of about $60 million.
Refinery utilization
Utilization of total refinery capacity (percent) 93 92 94
2024
Lower refinery throughput in 2024 reflected the impact of planned turnaround activities at Nanticoke, Sarnia and Strathcona refineries.
Petroleum product sales
Lube oils and other products (b) 48 46 43
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Chemical
Overview
North America continued to benefit from abundant supplies of natural gas and gas liquids, providing both low cost energy and feedstock for steam crackers.
Key events
In 2025, the Chemicals business had strong operating performance, building on the improvements achieved following the completion of maintenance activities in prior years.
The company maintains a competitive advantage through continued operational excellence, consistent product quality, investment and cost discipline, and integration of its chemical plant in Sarnia with the refinery. The company also benefits from its relationship with ExxonMobil’s North American chemical businesses, enabling Imperial to maintain a leadership position in its key market segments.
Results of operations
2025 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Margins – Lower margins primarily reflect weaker industry polyethylene margins.
2024 Net income (loss) factor analysis
millions of Canadian dollars
Sales
Corporate and other
Current year results include identified items1 of a $306 million after-tax ($406 million before-tax) non-cash
impairment charge of the Calgary Imperial Campus and a $249 million after-tax ($330 million before-tax) restructuring charge; results also reflect higher incentive compensation as a result of the higher share price.
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Liquidity and capital resources
Sources and uses of cash
The company issues long-term debt from time to time and maintains a commercial paper program. However, internally generated funds cover the majority of its financial requirements. Cash that may be temporarily surplus to the company’s immediate needs is carefully managed through counterparty quality and investment guidelines to ensure that it is secure and readily available to meet the company’s cash requirements and to optimize returns.
Cash flows from operating activities are highly dependent on crude oil and natural gas prices, as well as petroleum and chemical product margins. In addition, to provide for cash flow in future periods, the company needs to continually find and develop new resources, and continue to develop and apply new technologies to existing fields in order to maintain or increase production.
The company’s financial strength enables it to make large, long-term capital expenditures. The company’s portfolio of development opportunities and the complementary nature of its business segments help mitigate the overall risks for the company and its cash flows. Further, due to its financial strength, debt capacity and portfolio of opportunities, the risk associated with delay of any single project would not have a significant impact on the company’s liquidity or ability to generate sufficient cash flows for its operations and fixed commitments.
Funding of registered retirement plans complies with federal and provincial pension regulations, and the company makes contributions to the plans based on an independent actuarial valuation completed at least once every three years depending on funding status. The most recent valuation of the company’s registered retirement plans was completed as at December 31, 2022.A valuation of the company's registered retirement plans as at December 31, 2025 is expected to be completed in 2026. The company contributed $148 million to the registered retirement plans in 2025. Future funding requirements are not expected to affect the company’s existing capital investment plans or its ability to pursue new investment opportunities.
Cash flows from (used in):
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 163 115 (2,885)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 1,142 979 864
Cash flows from operating activities
2025
Cash flows from operating activities primarily reflect favourable working capital impacts.
2024
Cash flows from operating activities primarily reflect lower unfavourable working capital impacts mainly related to an income tax catch-up payment of $2.1 billion in the prior year.
Cash flows used in investing activities
2025
Cash flows used in investing activities primarily reflect higher additions to property, plant and equipment.
2024
Cash flows used in investing activities primarily reflect higher additions to property, plant and equipment.
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Cash flows used in financing activities
2025
At the end of 2025, total debt outstanding was $3,997 million, compared with$4,011 million at the end of 2024.
During the fourth quarter of 2025, the company extended the maturity dates of its two existing $250 million committed lines of credit to November 2026 and November 2027, respectively.
The company has not drawn on any of its outstanding $500 million of available credit facilities.
2024
At the end of 2024, total debt outstanding was $4,011 million, compared with $4,132 million at the end of 2023.
In June 2024, the company extended the maturity date of its existing long-term, variable-rate, Canadian dollar loan from ExxonMobil to June 30, 2035. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.
During the fourth quarter of 2024, the company extended the maturity dates of its two existing $250 million committed lines of credit to November 2025 and November 2026, respectively.
The company has not drawn on any of its outstanding $500 million of available credit facilities.
Share repurchases
Number of shares purchased (millions) (a) 25.5 26.8 48.3
2025
On June 23, 2025, the company announced by news release that it had received final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange for a new normal course issuer bid to continue its then-existing share purchase program. The program enabled the company to purchase up to a maximum of 25,452,248 common shares during the period June 29, 2025 to June 28, 2026. The program completed onDecember 17, 2025 as a result of the company purchasing the maximum allowable number of shares under the program.
2024
On June 24, 2024, the company announced that it had received final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange for a new normal course issuer bid to continue its then-existing share purchase program. The program enabled the company to purchase up to a maximum of 26,791,840 common shares during the period June 29, 2024 to June 28, 2025. The program completed on December 19, 2024 as a result of the company purchasing the maximum allowable number of shares under the program.
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Dividends
Per share dividend paid (dollars) 2.76 2.30 1.88
Financial strength
The table below shows the company’s consolidated debt-to-capital ratio at December 31. The data demonstrates the company’s creditworthiness:
Debt-related interest incurred in 2025, before capitalization of interest, was $131 million, compared with $192 million in 2024. The weighted-average interest rate on the company’s debt was 3.1 percent in 2025, compared with 4.7 percent in 2024.
The company’s financial strength represents a competitive advantage of strategic importance providing it the opportunity to readily access capital markets across a range of market conditions and enables the company to take on large, long-term capital commitments in the pursuit of maximizing shareholder value.
Contractual obligations
The company has contractual obligations involving commitments to third parties that impact its liquidity and capital resource needs. These contractual obligations are primarily for leases, debt, asset retirement obligations, pension and other postretirement benefits, other long-term obligations, and firm capital commitments. Further information on this topic can be found in notes 4, 5, 11, 13, 14 to the consolidated financial statements.
Other long-term purchase agreements are commitments that are non-cancellable, or cancellable only under certain conditions, as well as long-term commitments, other than unconditional purchase obligations. They include primarily raw material supply, transportation services agreements, and community benefits agreements. The total obligation at year-end 2025 was $14.5 billion, of which $1.5 billion is due in 2026, and $1.5 billion is due in 2027.
Litigation and other contingencies
As discussed in note 9 to the consolidated financial statements, a variety of claims have been made against Imperial and its subsidiaries. Based on a consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances, the company does not believe the ultimate outcome of any currently pending lawsuits against the company will have a material adverse effect on the company’s operations, financial condition, or financial statements taken as a whole.
Additionally, as discussed in note 9, Imperial was contingently liable at December 31, 2025, for guarantees relating to performance under contracts. These guarantees do not have a material effect on the company’s operations, financial condition, or financial statements taken as a whole.
There are no events or uncertainties beyond those already included in reported financial information that would indicate a material change in future operating results or financial condition.
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Capital and exploration expenditures
Capital and exploration expenditures represent the combined total of additions at cost to property, plant and equipment, additions to finance leases, additional investments and acquisitions; exploration expenses on a before-tax basis from the Consolidated statement of income; and the company’s share of similar costs for equity companies. Capital and exploration expenditures exclude the purchase of carbon emission credits. While the company’s management is responsible for all investments and elements of net income, particular focus is placed on managing the controllable aspects of this group of expenditures.
(a)Exploration expenses included.
For the Upstream segment, capital and exploration expenditures were primarily related to sustaining activity in support of the company’s oil sands and in-situ assets.
For the Downstream segment, capital expenditures were primarily for completing the Strathcona renewable diesel facility as well as other refinery and distribution projects to improve environmental performance, reliability, and energy efficiency.
Total capital and exploration expenditures are expected to range between $2.0 billion to $2.2 billion in 2026.
Expected capital and exploration expenditures for 2026 includes firm capital commitments of$585 million for the construction and purchase of fixed assets and other permanent investments. An additional $89 million of firm capital commitments have been made for years 2027 and beyond.
Actual spending could vary depending on the progress of individual projects.
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Market risks
Crude oil, natural gas, petroleum product and chemical prices have fluctuated in response to changing market forces. The impacts of these price fluctuations on earnings from Upstream, Downstream and Chemical operations have varied.
The company’s earnings are influenced by North American crude oil benchmark prices as well as changes in the differentials between these benchmarks and western Canadian prices for light and heavy crude oil. The company’s integrated business model reduces its risk from changes in commodity prices. For instance, when differentials between North American crude benchmarks and western Canadian prices widen, the company is able to mitigate the impact of widening differentials on the Upstream through integration with Downstream investments in refineries and pipeline commitments.
In the competitive downstream and chemical environments, earnings are primarily determined by margin capture rather than absolute price levels on products sold. Refining margins are a function of the difference between what a refiner pays for its raw materials (primarily crude oil) and the market prices for the range of products produced. These prices, in turn, depend on global and regional supply/demand balances, inventory levels, refinery operations, import/export balances and weather.
Industry crude oil commodity prices and petroleum and chemical product prices are commonly benchmarked in U.S. dollars. The majority of the company’s sales and purchases are related to these industry U.S. dollar benchmarks. As the company records and reports its financial results in Canadian dollars, to the extent that the Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate fluctuates, the company’s earnings will be affected.
The company is exposed to changes in interest rates, primarily on its debt which carries floating interest rates. The impact of a quarter percent change in interest rates affecting the company’s debt would not be material to earnings or cash flow. The company has access to significant sources of long-term and short-term liquidity. Internally generated funds are expected to cover the majority of financial requirements, supplemented by long-term and short-term debt as needed.
The company’s potential exposure to commodity price and margin, and Canadian/U.S. dollar exchange rate fluctuations, is summarized in the earnings sensitivities table, which shows the estimated annual effect, under current conditions, on the company’s after-tax net income. For any given period, the extent of actual benefit or detriment will be dependent on the price movements of individual types of crude oil and products, production and sales volumes, transportation capacity, costs and egress methods, and other factors. Accordingly, changes in benchmark prices for crude oil and crude oil differentials, and other factors listed in the table following, only provide broad indicators of changes in the earnings experienced in any particular period.
Earnings sensitivities (a)
millions of Canadian dollars, after-tax
One dollar (U.S.) per barrel increase (decrease) in crude oil prices + (-) 115
The demand for crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products are generally linked closely with economic growth. The occurrence of recessions or other periods of low or negative economic growth will typically have a direct adverse impact on the company’s financial results. Although price levels of crude oil may rise and fall significantly over the short to medium-term due to global economic conditions, political events, decisions by OPEC or OPEC+, governments and other factors, industry economics over the long-term will continue to be driven by market supply and demand. The company evaluates investments over a range of prices, including estimated greenhouse gas emission costs.
The global energy markets can give rise to extended periods in which market conditions are adverse to one or more of the company’s businesses. Such conditions, along with the capital-intensive nature of the industry and
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very long lead times associated with many of the company’s projects, underscore the importance of maintaining a strong financial position. Management views the company’s financial strength as a competitive advantage.
In general, segment results are not dependent on the ability to sell and/or purchase products to/from other segments. Where such intersegment sales take place, they are the result of efficiencies and competitive advantages from integrated business segments and refinery and chemical complexes. The company’s intersegment sales include crude oil produced by the Upstream and sold to the Downstream, as well as sales between refineries and the chemical plant related to raw materials, feedstocks and finished products. All intersegment sales are at market based prices. Refer to note 2 for additional information on intersegment revenue.
The company has an active asset management program in which nonstrategic assets are considered for divestment. The asset management program includes a disciplined, regular review to ensure that assets are contributing to the company’s strategic objectives.
Risk management
The company’s size, strong capital structure and the complementary nature of its business segments reduces the company’s enterprise-wide risk from changes in commodity prices and currency exchange rates. In addition, the company may use commodity-based contracts, including derivatives, to manage commodity price risk and to generate returns from trading. The company’s derivatives are not accounted for under hedge accounting. Credit risk associated with the company’s derivative position is mitigated by several factors, including the use of derivative clearing exchanges and the quality of and financial limits placed on derivative counterparties. No material market or credit risks to the company’s financial position, results of operations or liquidity exist as a result of the derivatives described in note 6. The company maintains a system of controls that includes the authorization, reporting and monitoring of derivative activity.
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Critical accounting estimates
The company’s financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The company’s accounting and financial reporting fairly reflect its integrated business model involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas; manufacture, trade, transport and sale of crude oil, natural gas, petroleum products, petrochemicals and a variety of specialty products; and pursuit of lower-emission business opportunities including carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, lower-emission fuels, and lithium. The company does not use financing structures for the purpose of altering accounting outcomes or removing debt from the balance sheet. The company’s significant accounting policies are summarized in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements.
Oil and natural gas reserves
Evaluations of oil and natural gas reserves are important to the effective management of upstream assets. They are an integral part of investment decisions about oil and gas properties such as whether development should proceed.
The estimation of proved reserve volumes, which is based on the requirement of reasonable certainty, is an ongoing process based on rigorous technical evaluations, commercial and market assessments, detailed analysis of reservoir and well performance, development and production costs, and other factors. The estimation of proved reserves is controlled by the company through long-standing approval guidelines. Reserves changes are made within a well-established, disciplined process driven by qualified geoscience and engineering professionals, assisted by the reserves management group which has significant technical experience, culminating in reviews with and approval by senior management and the company’s board of directors. Notably, the company does not use specific quantitative reserves targets to determine compensation. Key features of the reserves estimation process are covered in "Disclosure of reserves" in Item 1.
Oil and natural gas reserves include both proved and unproved reserves.
•Proved oil and natural gas reserves are determined in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requirements. Proved reserves are those quantities of oil and natural gas which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible under existing economic and operating conditions and government regulations. Proved reserves are determined using the average of first-day-of-the-month oil and natural gas prices during the reporting year.
Proved reserves can be further subdivided into developed and undeveloped reserves. Proved developed reserves include amounts which are expected to be recovered through existing wells, facilities, or mining activities with existing equipment and operating methods. Proved undeveloped reserves include amounts expected to be recovered from new wells, existing wells, facilities, or mining activities, where a relatively major capital expenditure is required. Proved undeveloped reserves are recognized when a development plan has been adopted indicating that the reserves are scheduled to be developed within five years, unless specific circumstances support a longer period of time.
The company is reasonably certain that proved reserves will be produced. However, the timing and amount recovered can be affected by a number of factors, including completion and optimization of development projects, reservoir performance, and facility processing capacity.
•Unproved reserves are quantities of oil and natural gas with less than reasonable certainty of recoverability and include probable reserves. Probable reserves are reserves that, together with proved reserves, are as likely as not to be recovered.
Revisions in previously estimated volumes of proved reserves for existing fields can occur due to the evaluation or re-evaluation of already available geologic, reservoir or production data; new geologic, reservoir or production data; or changes in the average of first-day-of-the-month oil and natural gas prices and/or costs that are used in the estimation of reserves. Revisions can also result from significant changes in either development strategy or production equipment and facility capacity.
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In 2023, upward revisions of proved bitumen of 0.1 billion barrels were driven by lower royalty obligations associated with lower pricing and minor technical revisions at Cold Lake and Kearl. A slight increase in proved reserves for synthetic crude oil is associated with lower royalty obligations associated with pricing. Conventional proved liquids reserves decreased to zero under existing pricing and operating conditions.
In 2024, upward revisions of proved bitumen of 0.1 billion barrels were primarily driven by updates to the Kearl geological model, Kearl well density, and Cold Lake infill drilling, partially offset by reductions associated with higher royalty obligations and Kearl pit limit updates. A decrease to synthetic oil proved reserves is associated with regulatory approval for ore sterilization at Syncrude.
In 2025, upward revisions of proved bitumen were primarily driven by steam scheduling, development drilling, Liquid Addition to Steam for Enhanced Recovery (LASER) process at Cold Lake and lower royalty obligations associated with pricing for both Kearl and Cold Lake. An increase in proved reserves for synthetic crude oil is associated with lower royalty obligation.
Under the terms of certain contractual arrangements or government royalty regimes, lower prices can also increase proved reserves attributable to the company. The company’s operating decisions and its outlook for future production volumes are not impacted by proved reserves as disclosed under the SEC definition.
Unit-of-production depreciation
Oil and natural gas reserve volumes are used as the basis to calculate unit-of-production depreciation rates for most upstream assets. Depreciation is calculated by taking the ratio of asset cost to total proved reserves or proved developed reserves applied to actual production. The volumes produced and asset cost are known, while proved reserves are based on estimates that are subject to some variability.
In the event that the unit-of-production method does not result in an equitable allocation of cost over the economic life of an upstream asset, an alternative method is used. The straight-line method is used in limited situations where the expected life of the asset does not reasonably correlate with that of the underlying reserves. For example, certain assets used in the production of oil and natural gas have a shorter life than the reserves, and as such, the company uses straight-line depreciation to ensure the asset is fully depreciated by the end of its useful life.
To the extent that proved reserves for a property are substantially de-booked and that property continues to produce such that the resulting depreciation charge does not result in an equitable allocation of cost over the expected life, assets will be depreciated using a unit-of-production method based on reserves determined at the most recent SEC price which results in a more meaningful quantity of proved reserves, appropriately adjusted for production and technical changes.
Impact of oil and gas reserves and prices and margins on testing for impairment
The company tests assets or groups of assets for recoverability on an ongoing basis whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts may not be recoverable. The company has a robust process to monitor for indicators of potential impairment across its asset groups throughout the year. This process is aligned with the requirements of ASC 360 and ASC 932 and relies, in part, on the company’s planning and budgeting cycle.
Because the lifespans of the vast majority of the company’s major assets are measured in decades, the future cash flows of these assets are predominantly based on long-term oil and natural gas commodity prices and industry margins, development and production costs. Significant reductions in the company’s view of oil or natural gas commodity prices or margin ranges, especially the longer-term prices and margins, and changes in the development plans, including decisions to defer, reduce or eliminate planned capital spending, can be an indicator of potential impairment. Other events or changes in circumstances, including indicators outlined in ASC 360, can be indicators of potential impairment as well.
In general, the company does not view temporarily low prices or margins as an indication of impairment. Management believes that prices over the long term must be sufficient to generate investments in energy supply to meet global demand. Although prices will occasionally drop significantly, industry prices over the long term will continue to be driven by market supply and demand fundamentals. On the supply side, industry production from mature fields is declining. This is being offset by investments to generate production from new discoveries, field developments, and technology and efficiency advancements. OPEC+ investment activities and production policies also have an impact on world oil supplies. The demand side is largely a function of general economic activities, alternative energy sources and levels of prosperity. During the lifespan of its major
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assets, the company expects that oil and gas prices and industry margins will experience significant volatility. Consequently, these assets will experience periods of higher earnings and periods of lower earnings, or even losses. In assessing whether events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, the company considers recent periods of operating losses in the context of its longer-term view of prices and margins.
Global Outlook and cash flow assessment
The annual planning and budgeting process, known as the company plan, is the mechanism by which resources (capital, operating expenses and people) are allocated across the company. The foundation for the energy supply and demand assumptions supporting the company plan begins with Exxon Mobil Corporation's Global Outlook (the Outlook), which contains demand and supply projections based on its assessment of current trends in technology, government policies, consumer preferences, geopolitics, economic development, and other factors.
Reflective of the existing global policy environment, the Outlook does not attempt to project the degree of necessary future policy and technology advancement and deployment for the world to meet net zero by 2050. As future policies and technology advancements emerge, they will be incorporated into the Outlook, and consequently, the company’s business plans will be updated accordingly.
If events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable, the company estimates the future undiscounted cash flows of the affected properties to judge the recoverability of carrying amounts. In performing this assessment, assets are grouped at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets. Cash flows used in recoverability assessments are based on the assumptions developed in the company plan, which is reviewed and approved by the board of directors, and are consistent with the criteria management uses to evaluate investment opportunities. These evaluations make use of the company’s assumptions of future capital allocations, crude oil and natural gas commodity prices including price differentials, refining and chemical margins, volumes, development and operating costs, including greenhouse gas emissions prices, and foreign currency exchange rates. Volumes are based on projected field and facility production profiles, throughput, or sales. Management’s estimate of upstream production volumes used for projected cash flows makes use of proved reserve quantities and may include risk-adjusted unproved reserve quantities. The greenhouse gas emission prices reflect existing or anticipated policy actions of applicable provincial and federal governments. While third-party scenarios may be used to test the resiliency of company’s businesses or strategies, they are not used as a basis for developing future cash flows for impairment assessments.
Fair value of impaired assets