Canadian producer Imperial Oil saw its net profit soar by 68% in the second quarter from year-ago levels as the highest second-quarter production in over 30 years and narrowing Canadian crude price discounts to the U.S. benchmark more than offset weaker refining results. Imperial Oil, majority owned by U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil, reported on Friday a net income of US$818 million C$1.133 billion for the second quarter, up from US$488 million C$675 million for the second quarter of 2023.
In the first half of 2024, the price of crude oil remained relatively flat compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, but the discount of the price of Western Canada Select WCS, the benchmark for Canadian heavy crude sold at Hardisty in Alberta, relative to the U.S. crude oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate WTI, narrowed, “primarily due to additional pipeline capacity coming online,” Imperial Oil said.