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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

Published
Imperial Oil reports $2.45 billion Q3 profit

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

Left 50%(6)Centre 50%(6)Right 0%(0)

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

Centre

6

Right

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

Not rated

4

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Imperial Oil $2.45B Q3 profit | MediaBias News