10-QPeriod: Q2 FY2021

IMPERIAL OIL LTD Quarterly Report for Q2 Ended Jun 30, 2021

Filed August 4, 2021For Securities:IMO

Summary

Imperial Oil Ltd. (IMO) reported a significant turnaround in financial performance for the second quarter and first half of 2021 compared to the same periods in 2020. The company posted net income of $366 million ($0.50/share diluted) for Q2 2021, a substantial improvement from a net loss of $526 million ($0.72/share diluted) in Q2 2020. This recovery was driven by a rebound in commodity prices and improved demand for petroleum and petrochemical products following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Upstream segment showed strong performance with net income of $247 million in Q2 2021, a significant improvement from a net loss of $444 million in Q2 2020, attributed to higher crude oil realizations and increased production volumes. The Downstream segment also turned profitable, reporting $60 million in net income compared to a net loss of $32 million in the prior year, benefiting from improved margins. The Chemical segment continued its positive trend with net income of $109 million in Q2 2021. Operationally, the company saw increased production in its Upstream operations, including Kearl and Cold Lake bitumen. Refinery throughput and petroleum product sales also increased in the Downstream segment. Financially, the company generated substantial operating cash flow of $852 million in Q2 2021, a marked improvement from negative cash flow in the prior year, enabling significant share repurchases and dividend payments.

Key Highlights

  • 1Imperial Oil Ltd. achieved a net income of $366 million ($0.50/share diluted) in Q2 2021, a significant recovery from a net loss of $526 million ($0.72/share diluted) in Q2 2020.
  • 2Upstream segment income improved dramatically to $247 million in Q2 2021 from a loss of $444 million in Q2 2020, driven by higher crude oil prices and volumes.
  • 3Downstream segment returned to profitability with $60 million in net income in Q2 2021, compared to a net loss of $32 million in Q2 2020, due to better margins.
  • 4Chemical segment delivered strong results with $109 million in net income for Q2 2021.
  • 5Operating cash flow significantly improved, reaching $852 million in Q2 2021, compared to negative $816 million in Q2 2020.
  • 6The company actively repurchased shares in Q2 2021, spending $1,171 million on approximately 29.5 million shares.
  • 7Total assets increased to $38.9 billion as of June 30, 2021, from $38.0 billion as of December 31, 2020, driven primarily by property, plant, and equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary driver was the significant recovery in commodity prices and demand for petroleum and petrochemical products following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Higher crude oil realizations and increased production volumes in the Upstream segment, coupled with improved margins in the Downstream and Chemical segments, led to the substantial improvement in net income.

The Upstream segment experienced a robust recovery, reporting a net income of $247 million in Q2 2021, a significant turnaround from a net loss of $444 million in Q2 2020. This improvement was attributed to higher crude oil prices (WTI averaged $66.17/barrel vs. $27.83/barrel) and increased production volumes from facilities like Kearl and Cold Lake.

Imperial Oil maintained a solid liquidity position, with cash and cash equivalents totaling $776 million at June 30, 2021. The company generated $852 million in operating cash flow in Q2 2021, which allowed for significant share repurchases ($1,171 million in Q2 2021) and dividend payments ($161 million in Q2 2021). They also have $1,300 million in available credit facilities that remained undrawn.

During Q2 2021, Imperial Oil actively repurchased shares under its normal course issuer bid program. The company amended its program on April 30, 2021, to purchase up to 29,363,070 shares by June 28, 2021, and announced a new program starting June 29, 2021, to purchase up to 35,583,671 shares through June 28, 2022. In Q2 2021, they purchased approximately 29.5 million shares for $1,171 million.