Topic: How To Invest

Q: Good morning. What are your thoughts on Cardinal Energy?

Article Excerpt

A: Cardinal Energy Ltd., $6.65, symbol CJ on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 158.5 million; Market cap: $1.05 billion; www.cardinalenergy.ca), is engaged in the acquisition, development, optimization and production of crude oil and natural gas in the provinces of Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. Cardinal’s output rose by 0.7% in the three months ended September 30, 2023, to an average 21,872 barrels of oil equivalent per day (88% oil and 12% gas) from 21,715 a year earlier. Cash flow per share was unchanged at $0.51. On September 30, 2023, the company’s long-term debt stood at $44.1 million, or just 4% of its market cap. Going forward, Cardinal plans to develop the heavy oil deposits it owns using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). That process injects steam into the ground to melt the bitumen, making it easier to pump to the surface. Still, while new technologies like SAGD have lowered costs in the heavy oil industry, extracting the tar-like bitumen is much more expensive than conventional oil wells. It’s…