New method boosts oil output

Article Excerpt

IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $106 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Conservative and Income Growth Portfolios, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 604.8 million; Market cap: $64.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.imperialoil.ca) recently started producing oil at its Grand Rapids oil sands project (part of its Cold Lake site in northern Alberta), using steam and chemical solvents. This method uses less steam to soften the heavy, tar-like bitumen and help it flow to the surface. Grand Rapids is now producing 12,000 barrels a day and it should reach 15,000 barrels a day by the end of 2024. To put those figures in context, Imperial produced 340,000 barrels a day (including natural gas) in the second quarter of 2024. The company’s rising production should lift its projected cash flow per share by about 10% to $12.25 in 2024. The stock trades at just 8.7 times that estimate. The $2.40 dividend yields 2.3%. Imperial Oil is a buy. buy…