Is Imperial Oil Limited a Buy?

Imperial Oil Limited (IMO) is a Canadian energy company primarily engaged in the discovery, extraction, and commercialization of crude oil and natural gas. Its operations are structured into three main divisions: Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical. The Upstream segment is dedicated to exploring for and producing various hydrocarbons, including crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen. As of December 31, 2021, this division reported 386 million oil-equivalent barrels in proven undeveloped reserves. The Downstream segment oversees the transportation and refinement of crude oil, the blending of refined petroleum products, and their subsequent distribution and marketing. It employs a diverse transportation network, including contracted and common carrier pipelines, as well as rail, to move crude oil to its refineries. For product distribution, it utilizes pipelines, tankers, rail, and road transport, and owns and operates fuel terminals, natural gas liquids facilities, and product pipelines in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. This segment also supplies petroleum products to the general public through roughly 2,400 Esso and Mobil-branded retail locations. Additionally, it sells a variety of petroleum products, such as fuel, asphalt, and lubricants, to industrial and transportation clients, independent marketers, and resellers, catering to the agriculture, residential heating, and commercial markets via branded distributors. The Chemical segment focuses on manufacturing and commercializing a range of petrochemicals, including benzene, aromatic and aliphatic solvents, plasticizer intermediates, and polyethylene resin. Imperial Oil has also formed a strategic alliance with E3 Metals Corp. to advance a lithium-extraction pilot project in Alberta. The company was founded in 1880, is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, and functions as a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.