Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit
Company profit more than quadrupled year-over-year, driven by higher oil prices and refining margins.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit
Photograph: CTV News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Imperial Oil reported a third-quarter profit of $2.45 billion, a substantial rise from $539 million in the prior year's third quarter.
- The company's CEO, John Whelan, expressed optimism about progress on the Pathways carbon storage project, a key condition for pipeline development.
- Upstream production for Imperial Oil averaged 418,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day in the third quarter.
- The average price for West Texas Intermediate crude was US$85.68 per barrel during the third quarter.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 4 of the 16 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
48/100
Craft
57/100
Hype
20/100
16 sources · methodology
Imperial Oil announced a third-quarter profit of $2.45 billion, a significant increase from $539 million in the same quarter last year. The company's results were bolstered by higher oil prices and stronger refining margins. Imperial Oil CEO John Whelan stated that the company is encouraged by progress on the Pathways carbon storage project, a development that is a condition for the Pacific Link crude pipeline to move forward. The Pathways Project aims to store approximately six million tonnes of captured carbon dioxide annually by the mid-2030s.
During the third quarter, Imperial Oil's upstream production averaged 418,000 gross oil-equivalent barrels per day. This figure is down from 462,000 barrels per day in the same quarter of the previous year, attributed partly to lower production at Kearl and scheduled maintenance. The price of West Texas Intermediate, a US light oil benchmark, averaged US$85.68 per barrel in the third quarter, up from US$64.97 a year earlier. Western Canada Select, the price for Alberta heavy crude, rose to US$71.90 from US$54.62 year-over-year.
Profit figures
Imperial Oil reported a third-quarter profit of $2.45 billion, up from $539 million in the same quarter last year. The company's profit per diluted share was $5.11, compared with $1.07 a year ago. Total revenue and other income reached $16.21 billion, an increase from $12.05 billion in the prior year's third quarter. One digest reported net income of $1.75 billion, a figure not corroborated by other reports.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the specific details of the financial supports or potential royalty incentives that Alberta has agreed to as part of the accord with the federal government concerning the Pathways Project. The full report from CTV News noted that Alberta has agreed to 'financial supports' but did not elaborate on the nature of these supports.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 30 Oct 2026, 20:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
6 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports focused on Imperial Oil's profit increase, attributing it to higher oil prices. Headlines from La Presse, Rocky Mountain Outlook, Bowen Island Undercurrent, thealbertan.com, NiagaraFallsReview.ca, and Airdrie City View all highlighted the $2.45 billion third-quarter profit and its rise from the previous year, directly linking it to increased oil prices. Digests from these outlets consistently stated the profit figure and its year-over-year comparison, with some mentioning the $5 per share profit.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports led with Imperial Oil beating profit estimates, often citing stronger refining margins as a key factor. CTV News and CP24 headlines mentioned beating estimates due to refining margins, with CP24 noting this offset lower oil production. The Globe & Mail reported the company beat third-quarter profit estimates, mentioning the share price compared to forecasts. Washington Top News provided an earnings snapshot, while Winnipeg Free Press and The Record reiterated the profit increase driven by higher oil prices, similar to left-rated reports.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit?
- Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 50% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 16. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 50% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 0% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit biased?
- Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit is one event reported by 16 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit?
- 16 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What was Imperial Oil's profit in the third quarter?
- Imperial Oil reported a profit of $2.45 billion for the third quarter. This represents a significant increase compared to the $539 million profit recorded in the same quarter of the previous year.
- What factors contributed to Imperial Oil's profit increase?
- The company's profit was boosted by higher oil prices and stronger refining margins. While upstream production saw a slight decrease, these factors led to a substantial year-over-year profit growth.
- What is the status of the Pathways carbon storage project?
- Imperial Oil CEO John Whelan expressed encouragement regarding progress on the Pathways carbon storage project. This project is a condition for the Pacific Link crude pipeline to advance and aims to store approximately six million tonnes of captured CO2 annually by the mid-2030s.
Read it at the source
16 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
6- Third Quarter of the Year: Rising Oil Prices Allow L-Imperial to Boost Its Profit (opens La Presse in a new tab)
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens thealbertan.com in a new tab)
thealbertan.com — is thealbertan.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens Bowen Island Undercurrent in a new tab)
Bowen Island Undercurrent — is Bowen Island Undercurrent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens Rocky Mountain Outlook in a new tab)
Rocky Mountain Outlook — is Rocky Mountain Outlook biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens NiagaraFallsReview.ca in a new tab)
NiagaraFallsReview.ca — is NiagaraFallsReview.ca biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
6- Canada's Imperial Oil beats third-quarter profit estimates (opens Reuters in a new tab)
- Imperial Oil beats profit estimates on stronger refining margins (opens CP24 in a new tab)
- Imperial Oil beats profit estimates on stronger refining margins (opens CTV News in a new tab)
- Imperial Oil: Q3 Earnings Snapshot – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Imperial Oil beats third-quarter profit estimates (opens The Globe & Mail in a new tab)
The Globe & Mail — is The Globe & Mail biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
4- The Oil Profit Outrage Is Missing the Point (opens energyindepth.org in a new tab)
energyindepth.org — is energyindepth.org biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Imperial Oil Q3 Net Income Jumps to C$2.454 Billion as Downstream Earnings Rise (opens TokenPost in a new tab)
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens Western Investor in a new tab)
Western Investor — is Western Investor biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Higher oil prices help Imperial Oil report $2.45B Q3 profit (opens Airdrie City View in a new tab)
Airdrie City View — is Airdrie City View biased? Our profile of this outlet
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