Ovintiv Inc. (OVV)
SIC breadcrumb: Mining > SIC Major Group 13 > SIC 1311 Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1792580. Latest filing source: 0001193125-26-064309.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Risk Factors
Read OVV's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 8,908,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-23 |
| Net income | 1,242,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-23 |
| Assets | 20,390,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-23 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-23. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001792580.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4,443,000,000 | 5,939,000,000 | 6,726,000,000 | 6,087,000,000 | 8,658,000,000 | 12,464,000,000 | 10,883,000,000 | 9,152,000,000 | 8,908,000,000 | |
| Net income | 827,000,000 | 1,069,000,000 | 234,000,000 | -6,097,000,000 | 1,416,000,000 | 3,637,000,000 | 2,085,000,000 | 1,125,000,000 | 1,242,000,000 | |
| Operating income | 1,068,000,000 | 1,694,000,000 | 598,000,000 | -5,397,000,000 | 1,519,000,000 | 3,853,000,000 | 2,864,000,000 | 1,579,000,000 | 1,131,000,000 | |
| Diluted EPS | 5.57 | 0.90 | -23.47 | 5.32 | 14.08 | 7.90 | 4.21 | 4.78 | ||
| Operating cash flow | 1,050,000,000 | 2,300,000,000 | 2,921,000,000 | 1,895,000,000 | 3,129,000,000 | 3,866,000,000 | 4,167,000,000 | 3,721,000,000 | 3,652,000,000 | |
| Capital expenditures | 1,796,000,000 | 1,975,000,000 | 2,626,000,000 | 1,736,000,000 | 1,519,000,000 | 1,831,000,000 | 2,744,000,000 | 2,303,000,000 | 2,147,000,000 | |
| Dividends paid | 57,000,000 | 56,000,000 | 102,000,000 | 97,000,000 | 122,000,000 | 239,000,000 | 307,000,000 | 316,000,000 | 308,000,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 250,000,000 | 1,250,000,000 | 0.00 | 111,000,000 | 719,000,000 | 426,000,000 | 597,000,000 | 307,000,000 | |
| Assets | 15,344,000,000 | 21,487,000,000 | 14,469,000,000 | 14,055,000,000 | 15,056,000,000 | 19,987,000,000 | 19,254,000,000 | 20,390,000,000 | ||
| Liabilities | 7,897,000,000 | 11,557,000,000 | 10,632,000,000 | 8,981,000,000 | 7,367,000,000 | 9,617,000,000 | 8,923,000,000 | 9,195,000,000 | ||
| Stockholders' equity | 6,126,000,000 | 6,728,000,000 | 7,447,000,000 | 9,930,000,000 | 3,837,000,000 | 5,074,000,000 | 7,689,000,000 | 10,370,000,000 | 10,331,000,000 | 11,195,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,058,000,000 | 190,000,000 | 10,000,000 | 195,000,000 | 5,000,000 | 3,000,000 | 42,000,000 | 35,000,000 | ||
| Free cash flow | -746,000,000 | 325,000,000 | 295,000,000 | 159,000,000 | 1,610,000,000 | 2,035,000,000 | 1,423,000,000 | 1,418,000,000 | 1,505,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 18.61% | 18.00% | 3.48% | -100.16% | 16.35% | 29.18% | 19.16% | 12.29% | 13.94% | |
| Operating margin | 24.04% | 28.52% | 8.89% | -88.66% | 17.54% | 30.91% | 26.32% | 17.25% | 12.70% | |
| Return on equity | 12.29% | 14.35% | 2.36% | -158.90% | 27.91% | 47.30% | 20.11% | 10.89% | 11.09% | |
| Return on assets | 6.97% | 1.09% | -42.14% | 10.07% | 24.16% | 10.43% | 5.84% | 6.09% | ||
| Liabilities / equity | 1.06 | 1.16 | 2.77 | 1.77 | 0.96 | 0.93 | 0.86 | 0.82 | ||
| Current ratio | 1.33 | 0.77 | 0.51 | 0.58 | 0.61 | 0.60 | 0.51 | 0.54 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001193125-26-064309; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001193125-26-064309; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001193125-26-064309; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001193125-26-064309; filed 2026-02-23. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-07-23. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001792580.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 4.63 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 1.97 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1.34 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 2,649,000,000 | 406,000,000 | 1.47 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 3,166,000,000 | 856,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 2,352,000,000 | 338,000,000 | 1.24 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 2,288,000,000 | 340,000,000 | 1.27 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 2,324,000,000 | 507,000,000 | 1.92 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 2,188,000,000 | -60,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 2,377,000,000 | -159,000,000 | -0.61 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 2,318,000,000 | 307,000,000 | 1.18 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 2,066,000,000 | 148,000,000 | 0.57 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 2,147,000,000 | 946,000,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 2,532,000,000 | -630,000,000 | -2.35 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 3,013,000,000 | 456,000,000 | 1.62 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001193125-26-314501; filed 2026-07-23. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001193125-26-314501; filed 2026-07-23. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0001193125-26-314501; filed 2026-07-23. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001193125-26-314501.
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective, which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s condensed consolidated results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, and period-over-period comparison. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the period ended June 30, 2026 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2025, which are included in Items 8 and 7, respectively, of the 2025 Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This MD&A includes the following sections:
•
Executive Overview
•
Results of Operations
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Non-GAAP Measures
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv aims to be a leading North American energy producer and is focused on developing its high-quality multi-basin portfolio of oil and natural gas producing plays. Ovintiv is committed to delivering quality returns from its capital investment, generating significant cash flows and providing durable cash returns to its shareholders through the commodity price cycle. The Company aims to achieve its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and commercial acumen and risk management. In addition, the Company is dedicated to driving progress in the area of sustainability, aligning with its commitment to corporate responsibility.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its shareholder return framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet.
Ovintiv continually monitors and evaluates changing market conditions to maximize cash flows, mitigate risks and renew its premium well inventory. The Company’s high-quality assets, located in the United States and Canada, form a multi-basin, multi-product portfolio which enables flexible and efficient investment of capital that supports the Company’s strategy.
Ovintiv seeks to deliver results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics, targets and relative progress achieved, can be found in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A and on the Company’s website.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and shareholder value.
For additional information on Ovintiv’s strategy, its reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of the 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non‑GAAP Cash Flow and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
38
Highlights
During the first six months of 2026, the Company focused on executing its 2026 capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, and delivering cash from operating activities. In conjunction with closing the NuVista Acquisition, as discussed below, the Company was also focused on integrating the new assets into its existing operations.
Higher upstream product revenues in the first six months of 2026 compared to 2025, primarily resulted from higher average realized oil and plant condensate prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, and higher plant condensate and natural gas production volumes, partially offset by lower oil production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate prices increased 26 percent and 29 percent, respectively, primarily due to higher benchmark prices. Plant condensate and natural gas production volumes increased primarily due to the NuVista Acquisition in the first quarter of 2026. Oil production volumes decreased primarily due to the sale of the Company’s Anadarko assets in the second quarter of 2026. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.
Significant Developments
•
On April 9, 2026, the Company closed the previously announced divestiture of its Anadarko assets, comprising approximately 360,000 net acres in the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, for proceeds of approximately $2.8 billion, after preliminary closing adjustments and transaction costs. The transaction had an effective date of January 1, 2026. Following the closing of the divestiture, Ovintiv repaid the balance under its Term Credit Agreement and the facility was terminated. The Term Credit Agreement is defined in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A.
•
On April 9, 2026, Ovintiv issued a notice to the trustee to redeem the Company’s $700 million, 5.65 percent senior notes due May 15, 2028. The senior notes were redeemed on April 20, 2026, using proceeds from the divestiture of the Company’s Anadarko assets, and is expected to result in annualized interest savings of approximately $40 million.
•
On February 23, 2026, Ovintiv announced an update to its shareholder return framework in support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value. The new framework commits to returning between 50 percent and 100 percent of annual Non-GAAP Cash Flow in excess of capital expenditures through base dividends and share buybacks.
•
On February 3, 2026, the Company closed its previously announced acquisition of all the issued and outstanding common shares of NuVista Energy Ltd. (“NuVista”) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.8 billion (C$3.8 billion) (“NuVista Acquisition”), including Ovintiv’s previous purchase of 18.5 million common shares of NuVista. The Company issued approximately 30.1 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and paid cash consideration of approximately $1.2 billion (C$1.6 billion). Additionally, Ovintiv assumed and subsequently repaid NuVista’s debt, totaling approximately $282 million (C$385 million). The assets acquired are strategically located adjacent to Ovintiv’s current operations in the oil-rich Alberta Montney and add approximately 930 net well locations to Ovintiv’s existing Montney inventory and approximately 140,000 net acres.
Financial Results
Three months ended June 30, 2026
•
Reported net earnings of $456 million, or $1.62 per share diluted.
•
Recognized a loss on the divestiture of the Company’s Anadarko assets of $337 million, before tax, and allocated goodwill of $502 million to the transaction.
•
Recognized a net gain on risk management in revenues of $122 million, before tax.
•
Generated cash from operating activities of $1,632 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $1,256 million.
•
Purchased for cancellation, approximately 6.1 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $345 million.
•
Paid dividends of $0.30 per share of common stock totaling $84 million.
39
Six months ended June 30, 2026
•
Reported a net loss of $174 million, or $0.63 per share diluted, including non-cash ceiling test impairments of $1,154 million, after tax, or $4.21 per share diluted.
•
Recognized a loss on the divestiture of the Company’s Anadarko assets of $337 million, before tax, and allocated goodwill of $502 million to the transaction.
•
Recognized a net gain on risk management in revenues of $59 million, before tax.
•
Generated cash from operating activities of $2,688 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $2,495 million.
•
Purchased for cancellation, approximately 7.6 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $429 million.
•
Paid dividends of $0.60 per share of common stock totaling $169 million.
•
Had approximately $4.4 billion in total liquidity as at June 30, 2026, which included available credit facilities of $3.5 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $159 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $700 million.
•
Reported Debt to EBITDA of 1.3 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 0.8 times.
Capital Investment
During the six months ended June 30, 2026
•
Executed the Company’s 2026 capital plan with expenditures totaling $1,179 million.
Production
During the six months ended June 30, 2026
•
Produced average liquids volumes of 306.4 Mbbls/d, which accounted for 47 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 215.5 Mbbls/d, represented 70 percent of total liquids production volumes.
•
Produced average natural gas volumes of 2,041 MMcf/d, which accounted for 53 percent of total production volumes.
•
Produced average total volumes of 646.6 MBOE/d.
Operating Expenses
During the six months ended June 30, 2026
•
Incurred upstream transportation and processing expenses of $989 million or $8.45 per BOE, an increase of $172 million compared to 2025, primarily due to increased production volumes related to the NuVista Acquisition in the first quarter of 2026.
•
Incurred upstream operating expenses of $408 million or $3.49 per BOE, a decrease of $12 million compared to 2025, primarily due to the sale of the Company’s Anadarko assets in the second quarter of 2026, partially offset by increased activity related to the NuVista Acquisition in the first quarter of 2026.
•
Incurred total production, mineral and other taxes of $160 million, which represents approximately 3.55 percent of upstream product revenues. Total production, mineral and other taxes were in line with 2025.
Additional information on the items above and other expenses can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
40
2026 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil and Natural Gas Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. Natural gas prices are primarily impacted by structural changes in supply and demand, deviations from seasonally normal weather, as well as volatility in regional markets.
Oil prices for the remainder of 2026 are expected to be impacted by the conflict in the Middle East, the interplay among the pace of global economic growth, global oil demand, OPEC+ and non-OPEC+ production, other geopolitical events, and macroeconomic uncertainties.
Natural gas prices for the remainder of 2026 are expected to be impacted by the interplay among natural gas production and associated natural gas from oil production, changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of U.S. and Canadian liquefied natural gas, impacts from seasonal weather, as well as supply chain constraints or other disruptions resulting from geopolitical events.
Political developments, including trade disputes and policy changes, continue to elevate global uncertainty and financial ma
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective, which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s consolidated 2025 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2025 and 2024 results. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2025 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Discussion and analysis of 2023 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 results that are not included in this Form 10-K, can be found in Item 7 of the 2024 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This MD&A includes the following sections:
•
Executive Overview
•
Results of Operations
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Accounting Policies and Estimates
•
Non-GAAP Measures
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv aims to be a leading North American energy producer and is focused on developing its high-quality multi-basin portfolio of oil and natural gas producing plays as part of its strategy outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv is committed to delivering quality returns from its capital investment, generating significant cash flows and providing durable cash returns to its shareholders through the commodity price cycle. The Company aims to achieve its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and commercial acumen and risk management. In addition, the Company is dedicated to driving progress in the area of sustainability, aligning with its commitment to corporate responsibility.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its shareholder return framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet.
Ovintiv continually monitors and evaluates changing market conditions to maximize cash flows, mitigate risks and renew its premium well inventory. The Company’s high-quality assets, located in the United States and Canada, form a multi-basin, multi-product portfolio which enables flexible and efficient investment of capital that supports the Company’s strategy.
Ovintiv seeks to deliver results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics, targets and relative progress achieved, can be found in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A and on the Company’s sustainability website.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and shareholder value.
For additional information on Ovintiv’s strategy, its reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information on the segmented results, refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non‑GAAP Cash Flow and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt
51
to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Highlights
During 2025, the Company focused on executing its capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, and delivering cash from operating activities. In conjunction with the Montney Acquisition, as discussed below, the Company has fully integrated the new assets into its existing operations.
The Company had lower upstream product revenues in 2025 compared to 2024, which primarily resulted from lower oil production volumes and lower average realized liquids prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, partially offset by higher plant condensate production volumes and higher average realized natural gas prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities. Oil production volumes decreased primarily as a result of the sale of the Company’s Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025. Average realized oil and plant condensate prices decreased 11 percent and 12 percent, respectively, primarily due to lower benchmark prices. Plant condensate production volumes increased due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025. Higher average realized natural gas prices of 39 percent were primarily due to higher benchmark prices and exposure to other downstream benchmark prices. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.
Significant Developments and Subsequent Events
•
On February 23, 2026, Ovintiv announced an update to its shareholder return framework in support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value. The new framework commits to returning between 50 percent and 100 percent of annual Non‑GAAP Cash Flow in excess of capital expenditures through base dividends and share buybacks. The Company expects to implement the updated framework immediately.
•
On February 17, 2026, the Company announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Anadarko assets, comprising approximately 360,000 net acres in the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, for cash proceeds of $3.0 billion before closing adjustments. The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2026 and is subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and closing adjustments. The transaction has an effective date of January 1, 2026. Ovintiv intends to use the proceeds from the Anadarko divestiture to reduce debt.
•
On February 3, 2026, the Company closed its previously announced acquisition of all the issued and outstanding common shares of NuVista Energy Ltd. (“NuVista”) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.8 billion (C$3.8 billion) (“NuVista Acquisition”), including Ovintiv’s previous purchase of 18.5 million common shares of NuVista. The Company issued approximately 30.1 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and paid cash consideration of approximately $1.2 billion (C$1.6 billion). Additionally, Ovintiv assumed and subsequently repaid NuVista’s debt, totaling approximately $282 million (C$385 million). The acquisition is strategically located adjacent to Ovintiv’s current operations in the oil-rich Alberta Montney and adds approximately 930 net well locations to Ovintiv’s existing Montney inventory and approximately 140,000 net acres.
•
On December 15, 2025, the Company announced it had entered an agreement with a subsidiary of Pembina Pipeline Corporation for approximately 67 MMcf/d of natural gas liquefaction capacity at the Cedar LNG facility (“Cedar LNG”) in northwest British Columbia. Under the terms of the agreement, Pembina will provide transportation and liquefaction to Ovintiv over a 12-year term, commencing with commercial operations at Cedar LNG, anticipated in late 2028.
•
During October 2025, Ovintiv closed acreage acquisitions in Permian for total consideration of approximately $250 million. The Company acquired over 8,000 net acres and added approximately 120 net well locations.
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•
On September 29, 2025, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 22.3 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2025, to October 2, 2026. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents 10 percent of Ovintiv’s public float as at September 26, 2025.
•
On January 31, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced acquisition of certain Montney assets from Paramount Resources Ltd. (“Paramount”), in an all-cash transaction of approximately $2.274 billion (C$3.280 billion), after closing adjustments (“Montney Acquisition”). The acquisition added approximately 109,000 net acres in the core of the liquids-rich Alberta Montney. The transaction had an effective date of October 1, 2024.
•
On January 22, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced divestiture of substantially all of its Uinta assets, comprising approximately 126,000 net acres in the Uinta Basin of Utah, to FourPoint Resources, LLC, for approximately $1.9 billion, after closing and other adjustments. The transaction had an effective date of October 1, 2024.
Financial Results
•
Reported net earnings of $1,242 million, or $4.78 per share diluted, including non-cash ceiling test impairments of $703 million, after tax, or $2.71 per share diluted.
•
Recognized net gains on risk management in revenues of $172 million, before tax.
•
Generated cash from operating activities of $3,652 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $3,785 million. Cash from operating activities exceeded capital expenditures by $1,505 million.
•
Purchased for cancellation, approximately 7.8 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $307 million.
•
Paid dividends of $1.20 per share of common stock totaling $308 million.
•
Had approximately $4.5 billion in total liquidity as at December 31, 2025, which included available credit facilities of $3.5 billion, an available Term Credit Agreement of $1.2 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $125 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $35 million, net of outstanding commercial paper of $351 million. The Term Credit Agreement is defined in the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A.
•
Reported Debt to EBITDA of 1.6 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 1.2 times.
Capital Investment
•
Reported total capital spending of $2,147 million, which was within the full year 2025 investment guidance range of approximately $2,125 million to $2,175 million.
Production
•
Produced average liquids volumes of 304.2 Mbbls/d, which accounted for 50 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 209.4 Mbbls/d, or 69 percent of total liquids production volumes, were within the full year 2025 guidance range of 208.0 Mbbls/d to 210.0 Mbbls/d.
•
Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,862 MMcf/d, which accounted for 50 percent of total production volumes. Average natural gas volumes were within the full year 2025 guidance range of 1,850 MMcf/d to 1,870 MMcf/d.
•
Produced average total volumes of 614.5 MBOE/d, which was within the full year 2025 guidance range of 610.0 MBOE/d to 620.0 MBOE/d.
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Operating Expenses
•
Incurred upstream transportation and processing expenses of $1,685 million or $7.51 per BOE, an increase of $132 million compared to 2024, primarily due to increased production volumes related to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025, partially offset by the sale of the Company’s Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025. Upstream transportation and processing expenses of $7.51 per BOE was within the full year 2025 guidance range of $7.50 per BOE to $8.00 per BOE.
•
Incurred upstream operating expenses of $853 million or $3.80 per BOE, a decrease of $55 million compared to 2024, primarily due to the sale of the Company’s Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025, partially offset by increased activity related to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025. Upstream operating expenses of $3.80 per BOE was within the full year 2025 guidance range of $3.75 per BOE to $4.00 per BOE.
•
Incurred total production, mineral and other taxes of $286 million. This represents approximately four percent of upstream product revenues which was within the full year 2025 guidance range of 3.75 to 4.50 percent of upstream product revenues. Total production, mineral and other taxes decreased by $47 million compared to 2024, primarily due to the sale of the Company’s Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025 and lower oil commodity prices.
Additional information on the items above and other expenses can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2026 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil and Natural Gas Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. Natural gas prices are primarily impacted by structural changes in supply and demand, deviations from seasonally normal weather, as well as volatility in regional markets.
Oil prices for 2026 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between the pace of global economic growth, global oil demand, OPEC+ and non-OPEC+ production, geopolitical events, and macroeconomic uncertainties.
Natural gas prices for 2026 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between natural gas production and associated natural gas from oil production, changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of U.S. and Canadian liquefied natural gas, impacts from seasonal weather, as well as supply chain constraints or other disruptions resulting from geopolitical events.
Political developments, including trade disputes and policy changes, continue to elevate global uncertainty and financial market volatility. U.S. sanctions and tariffs on select products may disrupt global supply and demand, leading to commodity price volatility. These actions can provoke retaliatory measures from other countries, further increasing economic volatility and the risk of a global recession.
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Company Outlook
The Company will continue to exercise discretion and discipline, and intends to optimize capital allocation throughout 2026 as the commodity price environment evolves.
Markets for oil and natural gas are exposed to different price risks and are inherently volatile. The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to mitigate price volatility and provide more certainty around cash flows.
As at February 20, 2026, the Company has hedged approximately 52.4 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 709 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production for the remainder of the year. In addition, Ovintiv proactively utilizes commodity derivatives and transportation contracts to diversify the Company’s sales markets, thereby reducing significant exposure to any given market and regional pricing. Additional information on Ovintiv’s hedging program can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv’s 2026 guidance, including capital investment, production and operating expenses, reflects the strategic business combination with NuVista and assumes the Anadarko divestiture will close early in the second quarter. Further information can be found in the Significant Developments and Subsequent Events, and Liquidity and Capital Resources sections of this MD&A.
Capital Investment
The Company plans to spend approximately $2,250 million to $2,350 million on its full year 2026 capital investment program, focusing on maximizing returns from high-margin oil and condensate. In 2026, the Company expects to generate cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
Ovintiv continually strives to improve well performance and lower costs through innovative techniques. Ovintiv’s large-scale cube development model utilizes multi-well pads and advanced completion designs to maximize returns and resource recovery from its reservoirs. Ovintiv’s disciplined capital program and continuous innovation create flexibility to allocate capital in changing commodity markets to maximize cash flows while preserving the long-term value of the Company’s multi-basin portfolio.
Production
In 2026, the Company expects full year average total production volumes of approximately 620.0 MBOE/d to 645.0 MBOE/d, including oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 205.0 Mbbls/d to 212.0 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 80.0 Mbbls/d to 85.0 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 2,000 MMcf/d to 2,100 MMcf/d.
Operating Expenses
Ovintiv promotes a collaborative culture that values knowledge exchange, open communication, continuous improvement and learning. This culture stimulates innovation and fosters the creation of best practices resulting in efficiency improvements and enhanced operational performance for the Company.
In 2026, following the close of the Anadarko divestiture, the Company expects to incur upstream transportation and processing costs of approximately $8.75 per BOE to $9.25 per BOE, upstream operating expenses of approximately $3.00 per BOE to $3.50 per BOE, and total production, mineral and other taxes of approximately 3.25 to 3.75 percent of upstream product revenues.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s 2026 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ovintiv.com.
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Sustainability
Ovintiv recognizes the importance of implementing and maintaining sustainable practices to manage its environmental footprint. The Company participates in emission reduction programs and has adopted a range of strategies to help reduce emissions from its operations. These strategies include incorporating new and proven technologies, optimizing processes in its operations and working closely with third-party providers to develop best practices. The Company continues to look for innovative techniques and efficiencies in support of its commitment to emission reductions.
In May 2025, Ovintiv published its 2024 Sustainability Report. The report highlights the Company’s 2024 environmental, social and governance results, and its progress in emissions intensity reductions with the goal to meet its Scope 1&2 GHG emissions target by 2030. As at the end of 2025, the Company had achieved a greater than 43 percent reduction in the Scope 1&2 GHG emissions intensity from 2019 levels and expects to meet its emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent by 2030 measured against the 2019 baseline. Ovintiv remains committed to its GHG emissions reduction target and has tied the target to the Company’s annual compensation program for all employees. In addition, Ovintiv continues to work towards eliminating routine flaring in its operations.
In conjunction with the Company’s strategy, Ovintiv may acquire assets to strengthen its portfolio. Acquisitions are assessed and evaluated for environmental impacts and alignment with the Company’s GHG emissions target. Ovintiv continues to work to integrate sustainable practices within acquired operations to support company-wide sustainability objectives, while maintaining its 2030 GHG emissions target.
The Company’s social commitment framework, which is rooted in the Company’s foundational values of integrity, safety, sustainability, trust and respect, reflects Ovintiv’s positive contributions to the communities where it operates and highlights the Company’s approach to enabling an inclusive culture.
Ovintiv remains committed to protecting the health and safety of its workforce. Safety is a foundational value at Ovintiv and plays a critical role in the Company’s belief that a safe workplace is a strong indicator of a well-managed business. This safety-oriented mindset enables the Company to quickly respond to emergencies and minimize impacts to employees and business continuity. Safety performance goals are incorporated into the Company’s annual compensation program. Additional information on talent management and employee safety can be found in the Human Capital section of Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further information on Ovintiv’s sustainable business practices are outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and on the Company’s sustainability website at sustainability.ovintiv.com.
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Results of Operations
Selected Financial Information
| ($ millions) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product and Service Revenues | |||||||
| Upstream product revenues | $ | 7,144 | $ | 7,350 | |||
| Service revenues (1) | 32 | 8 | |||||
| Total Product and Service Revenues | 7,176 | 7,358 | |||||
| Sales of Purchased Product | 1,487 | 1,585 | |||||
| Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | 172 | 135 | |||||
| Sublease Revenues | 73 | 74 | |||||
| Total Revenues | 8,908 | 9,152 | |||||
| Total Operating Expenses (2) | 7,777 | 7,573 | |||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | 1,131 | 1,579 | |||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | 361 | 228 | |||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) Before Income Tax | 770 | 1,351 | |||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | (472 | ) | 226 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 1,242 | $ | 1,125 |
(1)
Service revenues comprises third-party gathering and processing fees and other revenues.
(2)
Total Operating Expenses include non-cash items such as DD&A, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligations and long-term incentive costs. The year ended December 31, 2025, includes non-cash ceiling test impairments of $920 million (2024 - $450 million).
Revenues
Ovintiv’s revenues are substantially derived from sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas production. Increases or decreases in Ovintiv’s revenue, profitability and future production are highly dependent on the commodity prices the Company receives. Prices are market driven and fluctuate due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as supply and demand, seasonality and geopolitical and economic factors. The Company’s realized prices generally reflect WTI, NYMEX, Edmonton Condensate and AECO benchmark prices, as well as other downstream benchmarks, including Houston and Dawn. The Company proactively mitigates price risk and optimizes margins by entering into firm transportation contracts to diversify market access to different sales points. Realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, may differ from the benchmarks for many reasons, including quality, location, or production being sold at different market hubs.
Benchmark prices relevant to the Company are shown in the table below.
Benchmark Prices
| (average for the period) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil & NGLs | |||||||
| WTI ($/bbl) | $ | 64.81 | $ | 75.72 | |||
| Houston ($/bbl) | 65.85 | 77.24 | |||||
| Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | 88.95 | 100.34 | |||||
| Natural Gas | |||||||
| NYMEX ($/MMBtu) | $ | 3.43 | $ | 2.27 | |||
| AECO (C$/Mcf) | 1.86 | 1.44 | |||||
| Dawn (C$/MMBtu) | 4.57 | 2.79 |
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Production Volumes and Realized Prices
| Production Volumes (1) | Realized Prices (2) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 142.3 | 167.9 | $ | 65.66 | $ | 73.90 | ||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 0.4 | 0.4 | 63.17 | 70.38 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 142.7 | 168.3 | 65.65 | 73.90 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 11.3 | 11.2 | 50.99 | 57.83 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 55.4 | 31.7 | 62.22 | 71.97 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 66.7 | 42.9 | 60.32 | 68.28 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs - Other (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 76.0 | 75.8 | 17.40 | 18.02 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 18.8 | 15.0 | 23.94 | 27.45 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 94.8 | 90.8 | 18.70 | 19.57 | ||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 229.6 | 254.9 | 48.97 | 56.57 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 74.6 | 47.1 | 52.59 | 57.80 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 304.2 | 302.0 | 49.86 | 56.76 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d, $/Mcf) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 515 | 537 | 2.38 | 1.62 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,347 | 1,161 | 2.36 | 1.73 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,862 | 1,698 | 2.36 | 1.70 | ||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d, $/BOE) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 315.3 | 344.4 | 39.54 | 44.39 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 299.2 | 240.6 | 23.73 | 19.67 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 614.5 | 585.0 | 31.85 | 34.22 | ||||||||||||
| Production Mix (%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Plant Condensate | 34 | 36 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs - Other | 16 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 50 | 52 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 50 | 48 | ||||||||||||||
| Production Change - Year Over Year (%) (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 10 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Production | 5 | 3 |
(1)
Average daily.
(2)
Average per-unit prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities.
(3)
Includes production impacts of acquisitions and divestitures. See Notes 8 and 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Upstream Product Revenues, Excluding Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management
| ($ millions) | Oil | NGLs - Plant Condensate | NGLs - Other | Natural Gas | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Upstream Product Revenues | $ | 4,559 | $ | 1,080 | $ | 652 | $ | 1,059 | $ | 7,350 | ||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) due to: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales prices | (432 | ) | (238 | ) | (43 | ) | 446 | (267 | ) | |||||||||||
| Production volumes | (704 | ) | 626 | 38 | 101 | 61 | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 Upstream Product Revenues | $ | 3,423 | $ | 1,468 | $ | 647 | $ | 1,606 | $ | 7,144 |
Oil Revenues
2025 versus 2024
Oil revenues were lower by $1,136 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower average oil production volumes of 25.6 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $704 million. Lower production volumes were primarily due to the sale of the Uinta assets during the first quarter of 2025 (24.6 Mbbls/d); and
•
A decrease of $8.25 per bbl, or 11 percent, in the average realized oil prices which decreased revenues by $432 million. The decrease reflected lower Houston and WTI benchmark prices which were down 15 percent and 14 percent, respectively, partially offset by higher regional pricing relative to the benchmark prices.
NGL Revenues
2025 versus 2024
NGL revenues were higher by $383 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Higher average plant condensate production volumes of 23.8 Mbbls/d increased revenues by $626 million. Higher production volumes were primarily due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 (20.2 Mbbls/d) and successful drilling in Montney (5.7 Mbbls/d); and
•
A decrease of $7.96 per bbl, or 12 percent, in the average realized plant condensate prices which decreased revenues by $238 million. The decrease primarily reflected the lower Edmonton Condensate benchmark price which was down 11 percent.
Natural Gas Revenues
2025 versus 2024
Natural gas revenues were higher by $547 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
An increase of $0.66 per Mcf, or 39 percent, in the average realized natural gas prices which increased revenues by $446 million. The increase reflected the higher NYMEX and AECO benchmark prices which were up 51 percent and 29 percent, respectively, and exposure to other downstream benchmark prices relating to the Company’s diversified markets in the Canadian Operations, partially offset by lower regional pricing relative to benchmark prices in the USA Operations; and
•
Higher average natural gas production volumes of 164 MMcf/d increased revenues by $101 million. Higher production volumes were primarily due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 (190 MMcf/d), and successful drilling in Montney and Permian (89 MMcf/d). The higher production volumes were partially offset by lower production volumes in Montney primarily related to pipeline restrictions and increased third-party plant downtime (51 MMcf/d), the sale of the Uinta and Horn River assets in the first quarter of 2025 (38 MMcf/d), and natural declines in Anadarko (19 MMcf/d).
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Sales of Purchased Product
Revenues from the sale of purchased product relate to activities that provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification within the USA and Canadian Operations segments.
| ($ millions) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales of Purchased Product | $ | 1,487 | $ | 1,585 |
2025 versus 2024
Sales of purchased product decreased $98 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower realized third-party liquids pricing ($397 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher sales of third-party purchased liquids volumes in the USA Operations ($263 million) and higher realized third-party natural gas pricing ($39 million).
Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net
As a means of managing commodity price volatility, Ovintiv enters into commodity derivative financial instruments on a portion of its expected oil, NGLs and natural gas production volumes. Additional information on the Company’s commodity price positions as at December 31, 2025, can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table provides the effects of the Company’s risk management activities on revenues.
| $ millions | Per-Unit | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commodity Price | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oil ($/bbl) | $ | 40 | $ | (34 | ) | $ | 0.77 | $ | (0.55 | ) | ||||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate ($/bbl) | - | (1 | ) | $ | - | $ | (0.04 | ) | ||||||||||
| NGLs - Other ($/bbl) | 8 | 4 | $ | 0.24 | $ | 0.13 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas ($/Mcf) | 118 | 298 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.47 | ||||||||||||
| Other (1) | - | 4 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Total ($/BOE) | 166 | 271 | $ | 0.74 | $ | 1.25 | ||||||||||||
| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | 6 | (136 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Total Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | $ | 172 | $ | 135 |
(1)
Other primarily includes realized gains from other derivative contracts with no associated production volumes.
Ovintiv recognizes fair value changes from its risk management activities each reporting period. The changes in fair value result from new positions and settlements that occur during each period, as well as the relationship between contract prices and the associated forward curves. Realized gains or losses on risk management activities related to commodity price mitigation are included in the USA and Canadian Operations’ revenues as the contracts are cash settled. Unrealized gains or losses on fair value changes of unsettled contracts are included in the Corporate and Other segment.
During 2025, the Company entered into physical forward contracts to further mitigate a portion of its exposure to AECO benchmark prices. The Company’s ongoing market diversification strategy shifts a portion of its commodity price exposure to alternative pricing hubs including Japan Korea Marker and Chicago city-gates, commencing in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Additional information on fair value changes can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Sublease Revenues
Sublease revenues primarily include amounts related to the sublease of office space in The Bow office building recorded in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on office sublease income can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating Expenses
Production, Mineral and Other Taxes
Production, mineral and other taxes include production and property taxes. Production taxes are generally assessed as a percentage of oil, NGLs and natural gas production revenues. Property taxes are generally assessed based on the value of the underlying assets.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 265 | $ | 319 | $ | 2.30 | $ | 2.53 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 21 | 14 | $ | 0.19 | $ | 0.16 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 286 | $ | 333 | $ | 1.27 | $ | 1.56 |
2025 versus 2024
Production, mineral and other taxes decreased $47 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
The Uinta assets sold in the first quarter of 2025 ($32 million), lower oil commodity prices ($27 million) and lower property taxes in Permian ($6 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher property taxes primarily due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 ($7 million) and higher effective production tax rates ($6 million).
Transportation and Processing
Transportation and processing expense includes transportation costs incurred to move product from production points to sales points including gathering, compression, pipeline tariffs, trucking and storage costs. Ovintiv also incurs costs related to processing provided by third parties or through ownership interests in processing facilities.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 450 | $ | 510 | $ | 3.91 | $ | 4.04 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,235 | 1,043 | $ | 11.31 | $ | 11.85 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Transportation and Processing | 1,685 | 1,553 | $ | 7.51 | $ | 7.25 | |||||||||||
| Other (1) | 39 | 86 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,724 | $ | 1,639 |
(1)
Other includes pipeline transportation fees associated with previously divested assets in the USA Operations of approximately $3 million (2024 - $50 million) and other third-party transportation and processing fees with no associated production volumes in the Canadian Operations of approximately $36 million (2024 - $36 million).
2025 versus 2024
Transportation and processing expense increased $85 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Higher production volumes due to the Montney Acquisition during the first quarter of 2025 ($279 million) and higher natural gas production volumes in Permian ($19 million);
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partially offset by:
•
The Uinta and Horn River assets sold in the first quarter of 2025 ($69 million), an expired pipeline transportation contract ($50 million), a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($20 million), lower downstream transportation costs in Montney ($17 million), lower midstream transportation costs in Montney ($15 million), third-party plant turnarounds in Montney in 2024 ($14 million), lower minimum volume commitment costs incurred associated with certain gathering and processing assets in Montney ($13 million), and lower natural gas production volumes in Anadarko ($12 million).
Operating
Operating expense includes costs paid by the Company, net of amounts capitalized, on oil and natural gas properties in which Ovintiv has a working interest. These costs primarily include labor, service contract fees, chemicals, fuel, water hauling, electricity and workovers.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 692 | $ | 799 | $ | 6.01 | $ | 6.34 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 161 | 109 | $ | 1.48 | $ | 1.24 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Operating Expense | 853 | 908 | $ | 3.80 | $ | 4.24 | |||||||||||
| Other | 9 | 23 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 862 | $ | 931 |
2025 versus 2024
Operating expense decreased $69 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
The sale of the Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025 ($90 million), increased operational efficiencies in Permian ($17 million) and decreased workover activity in Anadarko ($12 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher activity due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 ($37 million) and increased workover activity in Permian ($11 million).
Purchased Product
Purchased product expense includes purchases of oil, NGLs and natural gas from third parties that are used to provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification within the USA and Canadian Operations segments.
| ($ millions) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchased Product | $ | 1,447 | $ | 1,546 |
2025 versus 2024
Purchased product expense decreased $99 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower third-party liquids purchase prices ($396 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher third-party purchased liquids volumes in the USA Operations ($263 million) and higher third-party natural gas purchase prices ($36 million).
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Depreciation, Depletion & Amortization
Proved properties within each country cost center are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves as discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Depletion rates are impacted by impairments, acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange rates, as well as fluctuations in 12-month average trailing prices which affect proved reserves volumes. Corporate assets are carried at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the assets.
Additional information can be found under Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of this MD&A.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 1,475 | $ | 1,971 | $ | 12.81 | $ | 15.64 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 683 | 297 | $ | 6.26 | $ | 3.37 | |||||||||||
| Upstream DD&A | 2,158 | 2,268 | $ | 9.62 | $ | 10.60 | |||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 21 | 22 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,179 | $ | 2,290 |
2025 versus 2024
DD&A decreased $111 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower depletion rates and production volumes in the USA Operations primarily due to the sale of the Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025 ($327 million and $170 million, respectively);
partially offset by:
•
Higher depletion rates and production volumes in the Canadian Operations primarily due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 ($322 million and $70 million, respectively).
The upstream depletion rate in the USA Operations decreased $2.83 per BOE primarily due to a lower depletable base resulting from the sale of the Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025. The upstream depletion rate in the Canadian Operations increased $2.89 per BOE primarily due to a higher depletable base resulting from the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025, partially offset by the ceiling test impairments recognized in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first and third quarters of 2025.
Ceiling Test Impairment
Under full cost accounting, the carrying amount of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties within each country cost center is subject to a ceiling test performed quarterly. Ceiling test impairments are recognized when the capitalized costs, net of accumulated depletion and the related deferred income taxes, exceed the sum of the estimated after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves as calculated under SEC requirements using the 12-month average trailing prices and discounted at 10 percent. The 12‑month average trailing price is calculated as the average of the price on the first day of each month within the trailing 12‑month period.
In 2025, the Company recognized before-tax non-cash ceiling test impairments of $871 million and $49 million in the Canadian Operations and USA Operations, respectively. The non-cash ceiling test impairments primarily resulted from the 12-month average trailing prices used in the ceiling test at March 31, 2025, which were lower than the market prices used for the Montney Acquisition on January 31, 2025, and declines in the 12-month average trailing prices during the year, which reduced proved reserves in both the Canadian and USA Operations.
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The 12-month average trailing prices used in the ceiling test calculations were based on the benchmark prices below. The benchmark prices were adjusted for basis differentials to determine local reference prices, transportation costs and tariffs, heat content and quality.
| Oil & NGLs | Natural Gas | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTI ($/bbl) | Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | Henry Hub ($/MMBtu) | AECO (C$/MMBtu) | |||||||||||||
| 12-Month Average Trailing Reserves Pricing (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 65.34 | 90.09 | 3.39 | 1.76 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | 75.48 | 99.60 | 2.13 | 1.26 |
(1)
All prices were held constant in all future years when estimating net revenues and reserves.
Further declines in the 12‑month average trailing commodity prices could reduce proved reserves values and result in the recognition of future ceiling test impairments. Future ceiling test impairments can also result from changes to reserves estimates, future development costs, capitalized costs and unproved property costs. Moreover, acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties are transacted at market prices, which may be higher than the SEC 12-month average trailing prices at the reporting date and could result in the recognition of a ceiling test impairment. Proceeds received from oil and natural gas divestitures are typically deducted from the Company’s capitalized costs and can reduce the risk of ceiling test impairments.
The Company believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. The discounted after-tax future net cash flows do not consider the fair market value of unamortized unproved properties, or probable or possible liquids and natural gas reserves. In addition, there is no consideration given to the effect of future changes in commodity prices. Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs. Additional information on the ceiling test calculation can be found in Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Administrative
Administrative expense represents costs associated with corporate functions provided by Ovintiv staff. These expenses primarily include salaries and benefits, operating leases, office, information technology, restructuring and long-term incentive costs.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative, excluding Long-Term Incentive Costs, Restructuring | |||||||||||||||||
| Costs, and Transaction and Legal Costs (1) | $ | 282 | $ | 283 | $ | 1.26 | $ | 1.32 | |||||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 36 | 40 | 0.16 | 0.19 | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | 12 | 27 | 0.05 | 0.13 | |||||||||||||
| Transaction and legal costs | 1 | 15 | 0.01 | 0.07 | |||||||||||||
| Total Administrative | $ | 331 | $ | 365 | $ | 1.48 | $ | 1.71 |
(1)
Includes costs related to The Bow office lease of $111 million (2024 - $116 million), half of which is recovered from sublease revenues.
2025 versus 2024
Administrative expense decreased $34 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower restructuring costs incurred in 2025 ($15 million) and lower legal costs ($15 million).
In October 2024, Ovintiv undertook a plan to reduce its workforce by approximately 10 percent as part of a corporate reorganization. Additional information on restructuring charges and long-term incentive costs can be found in Notes 21 and 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Other (Income) Expenses
| ($ millions) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest | $ | 376 | $ | 412 | ||||
| Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net | 31 | (19 | ) | |||||
| Other (Gains) Losses, Net | (46 | ) | (165 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | $ | 361 | $ | 228 |
Interest
Interest expense primarily includes interest on Ovintiv’s short-term and long-term debt. Additional information on changes in interest and long-term debt can be found in Notes 4 and 15, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2025 versus 2024
Interest expense decreased $36 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower interest expense resulting from the repayment of the Company’s $600 million senior note in the second quarter of 2025 ($21 million), lower financing fees incurred related to the Montney Acquisition ($7 million) and lower interest expense on short-term borrowings ($7 million).
Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net
Foreign exchange gains and losses primarily result from the impact of fluctuations in the Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate. Additional information on changes in foreign exchange gains or losses can be found in Notes 5 and 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information on foreign exchange rates and the effects of foreign exchange rate changes can be found in Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2025 versus 2024
Net foreign exchange loss of $31 million compared to a gain of $19 million in 2024 primarily due to:
•
Unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of intercompany notes compared to gains in 2024 ($99 million), higher realized foreign exchange losses on the settlement of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada ($95 million) and losses on other monetary revaluations compared to gains in 2024 ($33 million);
partially offset by:
•
Unrealized foreign exchange gains on the translation of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada compared to losses in 2024 ($177 million).
Other (Gains) Losses, Net
Other (gains) losses, net, primarily includes other non-recurring revenues or expenses and may also include items such as interest income, reclamation charges related to decommissioned assets, proceeds related to previously divested assets and adjustments related to other assets.
Other gains in 2025 includes an unrealized gain of $28 million related to the 18.5 million common shares of NuVista purchased in contemplation of the NuVista Acquisition. Other gains also included interest income of $11 million primarily generated from short-term investments (2024 ‑ $7 million).
During 2024, the Company received settlement proceeds of approximately $156 million related to the previous dispositions of certain legacy assets. Accordingly, the Company recognized the total net proceeds of $156 million as a gain within Other (gains) losses, net. Additional information on the net settlement proceeds can be found in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Income Tax
In 2025, the Company recorded a current income tax recovery in the U.S. of $6 million compared to an expense in 2024, primarily due to lower corporate alternative minimum tax. In Canada, the current income tax expense in 2025 of $48 million was lower than 2024 primarily due to lower earnings subject to current tax.
In 2025, the Company recorded a deferred income tax recovery of $514 million compared to an expense in 2024, primarily due to the recognition of a net deferred tax asset resulting from the commercial restructure described below, higher Canadian ceiling test impairments in 2025 and lower taxes on U.S. earnings.
During 2025, Ovintiv restructured its existing arrangement with a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation for ownership and development of the Cutbank Ridge lands within the Montney area of British Columbia. This commercial restructure is designed to enhance alignment between the two companies and streamline administrative processes. Additionally, the restructure resulted in a capital loss utilization and a corresponding reduction in the valuation allowance, as well as the recognition of a net deferred tax asset.
The determination of income and other tax liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries requires interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws and regulations, that are subject to change. The Company’s interpretation of tax laws may differ from the interpretation of the tax authorities. As a result, there are tax matters under review for which the timing of resolution is uncertain. The Company believes that the provision for income taxes is adequate.
Additional information on income taxes can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
The Company has the flexibility to access cash equivalents and a range of funding alternatives at competitive rates through committed revolving credit facilities as well as debt and equity capital markets. Ovintiv closely monitors the accessibility of cost-effective credit and ensures that sufficient liquidity is in place to fund capital expenditures and dividend payments. In addition, the Company may use cash and cash equivalents, cash from operating activities, or proceeds from asset divestitures to fund its operations and shareholder return framework or to manage its capital structure as discussed below. At December 31, 2025, $33 million in cash and cash equivalents was held by Canadian subsidiaries. The cash held by Canadian subsidiaries is accessible and may be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and Canadian withholding taxes if repatriated.
The Company’s capital structure consists of total shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including any current portion. The Company’s objectives when managing its capital structure are to maintain financial flexibility to preserve Ovintiv’s access to capital markets and its ability to meet financial obligations and finance internally generated growth, as well as potential acquisitions. Ovintiv has a practice of maintaining capital discipline and strategically managing its capital structure by adjusting capital spending, adjusting dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new shares of common stock, purchasing shares of common stock for cancellation or return to treasury, issuing new debt and repaying or repurchasing existing debt.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $ | 35 | $ | 42 | |||
| Available Credit Facilities | 3,500 | 3,500 | |||||
| Available Uncommitted Demand Lines (1) | 125 | 91 | |||||
| Available Term Credit Agreement (2) | 1,200 | - | |||||
| Issuance of U.S. Commercial Paper | (351 | ) | - | ||||
| Total Liquidity | $ | 4,509 | $ | 3,633 | |||
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 5,202 | $ | 5,453 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | $ | 11,195 | $ | 10,331 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization (%) (3) | 32 | 35 | |||||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization (%) (3) | 22 | 23 |
(1)
Includes three uncommitted demand lines totaling $310 million, net of $185 million in related undrawn letters of credit (2024 - $295 million and $204 million, respectively).
(2)
The Term Credit Agreement, discussed below, is in place to facilitate the NuVista Acquisition.
(3)
These measures are defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
The Company has full access to two committed revolving U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities totaling $3.5 billion, which include a $2.2 billion revolving credit facility for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.3 billion revolving credit facility for a Canadian subsidiary (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). The Credit Facilities, which mature in December 2029, provide financial flexibility and allow the Company to fund its operations or capital investment program. At December 31, 2025, there were no outstanding amounts under the revolving Credit Facilities.
Depending on the Company’s credit rating and market demand, the Company may issue from its two U.S. commercial paper (“CP”) programs, which include a $1.5 billion program for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.0 billion program for a Canadian subsidiary. As at December 31, 2025, the Company had $351 million outstanding under its U.S. CP program maturing at various dates with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 4.37 percent, which is supported by the Company’s Credit Facilities. All of Ovintiv’s credit ratings are investment grade as at December 31, 2025.
On November 25, 2025, the Company entered into a $1.2 billion Two-Year Term Credit Agreement (“Term Credit Agreement”) to fund the cash component of its previously announced NuVista Acquisition. As at December 31, 2025, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the Term Credit Agreement.
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As at December 31, 2025, the available Credit Facilities, Term Credit Agreement, uncommitted demand lines, and cash and cash equivalents, net of outstanding commercial paper, provide Ovintiv with total liquidity of approximately $4.5 billion. Ovintiv also had approximately $185 million in undrawn letters of credit issued in the normal course of business as collateral security.
On February 3, 2026, the Company closed the NuVista Acquisition, whereby it issued approximately 30.1 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and paid cash consideration of approximately $1.2 billion (C$1.6 billion), which was funded with proceeds from the Term Credit Agreement. Additionally, Ovintiv assumed NuVista’s debt, totaling approximately $282 million (C$385 million), which was subsequently repaid using proceeds from short-term borrowings and cash on hand.
Additional information on the Term Credit Agreement and NuVista Acquisition can be found in Notes 15 and 28, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv has a U.S. shelf registration statement under which the Company may issue from time to time, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, units, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in the U.S. The U.S. shelf registration statement expires in March 2026 and is intended to be renewed by the Company.
The obligations under the Company’s existing debt securities are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Ovintiv Canada ULC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Additional information on the Company’s Canadian Operations segment and the Bow office lease can be found in the Results of Operations section in this MD&A and in the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Ovintiv is currently in compliance with all financial covenants under the Credit Facilities and Term Credit Agreement. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A, as a proxy for Ovintiv’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities and Term Credit Agreement, which requires Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. As at December 31, 2025, the Company’s Debt to Adjusted Capitalization was 22 percent. The definitions used in the covenant under the Credit Facilities and Term Credit Agreement adjust capitalization for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012, adoption of U.S. GAAP. Additional information on financial covenants can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table summarizes the sources and uses of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.
| ($ millions) | Activity Type | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | |||||||||
| Cash from operating activities | Operating | $ | 3,652 | $ | 3,721 | ||||
| Proceeds from divestitures | Investing | 1,927 | 163 | ||||||
| Corporate acquisition | Investing | - | 12 | ||||||
| Net issuance of revolving debt | Financing | 351 | - | ||||||
| Other | Financing | 102 | - | ||||||
| 6,032 | 3,896 | ||||||||
| Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents | |||||||||
| Capital expenditures | Investing | 2,147 | 2,303 | ||||||
| Acquisitions | Investing | 2,537 | 205 | ||||||
| Net repayment of revolving debt | Financing | - | 284 | ||||||
| Repayment of long-term debt | Financing | 600 | - | ||||||
| Purchase of shares of common stock | Financing | 307 | 597 | ||||||
| Dividends on shares of common stock | Financing | 308 | 316 | ||||||
| Other | Financing/Investing | 127 | 158 | ||||||
| 6,026 | 3,863 | ||||||||
| Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss) on Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Held in Foreign Currency | (13 | ) | 6 | ||||||
| Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | $ | (7 | ) | $ | 39 |
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Operating Activities
Net cash from operating activities in 2025 was $3,652 million and was primarily a reflection of the impacts from production volumes, average realized commodity prices, realized gains/losses on risk management and changes in non‑cash working capital.
Additional detail on changes in non-cash working capital can be found in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv expects it will continue to meet the payment terms of its suppliers.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow in 2025 was $3,785 million and was primarily impacted by the items affecting cash from operating activities which are discussed below and in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2025 versus 2024
Net cash from operating activities decreased $69 million compared to 2024 primarily due to:
•
Lower realized liquids commodity prices ($713 million), lower oil production volumes ($704 million), lower realized gains on risk management in revenues ($105 million), higher realized foreign exchange losses on the settlement of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada ($95 million), and higher transportation and processing expense ($85 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher NGLs and natural gas production volumes ($765 million), higher realized natural gas commodity prices ($446 million), changes in non-cash working capital ($154 million), lower operating expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($70 million), lower production, mineral and other taxes ($47 million), lower administrative expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($40 million), lower current income tax expense ($40 million) and lower interest expense ($35 million).
Investing Activities
The Company’s primary investing activities are capital expenditures, acquisitions and proceeds from divestitures, which are summarized in Notes 2 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
2025 and 2024
Net cash used in investing activities in 2025 was $2,884 million primarily due to the Montney Acquisition and capital expenditures, partially offset by the sale of the Company’s Uinta assets. Capital expenditures decreased $156 million compared to 2024 primarily due to decreased capital activity resulting from the sale of the Uinta assets in the first quarter of 2025, and decreased capital activity and increased efficiencies in Permian, partially offset by increased capital activity in Montney primarily due to the Montney Acquisition in the first quarter of 2025 and increased capital activity in Anadarko.
Acquisitions in 2025 were $2,537 million, which primarily included the Montney Acquisition. Acquisitions in 2024 were $205 million which primarily included property purchases with oil and liquids-rich potential in the USA Operations.
Proceeds from divestitures in 2025 were $1,927 million, which primarily included the sale of the Uinta assets in Utah. Proceeds from divestitures in 2024 were $7 million, which included certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets. Proceeds from divestitures in 2024 also included total net settlement proceeds of approximately $156 million related to the previous dispositions of certain legacy assets.
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Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities has been impacted by Ovintiv’s strategic objective to return value to shareholders by repaying existing debt, purchasing shares of common stock and paying dividends.
2025 versus 2024
Net cash used in financing activities in 2025 decreased $469 million compared to 2024. The decrease was primarily due to the net issuance of revolving debt in 2025 compared to net repayments in 2024 ($635 million), decreased purchases of shares of common stock ($290 million) and a property acquisition payable in 2025 ($123 million), partially offset by the repayment of the Company’s May 2025 senior notes during the second quarter of 2025 ($600 million).
In May 2025, Ovintiv redeemed its $600 million, 5.65 percent senior notes due May 15, 2025, with cash on hand and proceeds from short-term borrowings. The Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion of $810 million, totaled $5,202 million at December 31, 2025. The Company’s long-term debt at December 31, 2024, totaled $5,453 million, including the current portion of $600 million.
In January 2026, the Company redeemed its $459 million, 5.375 percent senior notes due January 1, 2026, with cash on hand and proceeds from short-term borrowings. Following this repayment, the Company has no fixed rate long-term debt due until 2028 and beyond.
From time to time, Ovintiv may seek to retire or repurchase the Company’s outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for other debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, the Company’s liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its shareholder return framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders. As discussed in the Significant Developments and Subsequent Events section of this MD&A, the Company announced an update to its shareholder return framework, which it expects to implement immediately. The new framework commits to returning between 50 percent and 100 percent of annual Non‑GAAP Cash Flow in excess of capital expenditures through base dividends and share buybacks. The Company expects its dividend levels to remain unchanged.
For additional information on long-term debt, refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Dividends
The Company pays quarterly dividends to common shareholders at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Payments | $ | 308 | $ | 316 | |||
| Dividend Payments ($/share) | $ | 1.20 | $ | 1.20 |
On February 23, 2026, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock payable on March 31, 2026, to common shareholders of record as of March 13, 2026. Shares of common stock issued in conjunction with the NuVista Acquisition are eligible to receive the dividend declared on February 23, 2026.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
On September 29, 2025, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 22.3 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2025, to October 2, 2026. The Company expects to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its new shareholder return framework.
During 2025, under the previous NCIB program, which extended from October 3, 2024, to October 2, 2025, the Company purchased for cancellation, approximately 7.8 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $307 million.
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For additional information on the NCIB, refer to Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Material Cash Requirements
Ovintiv’s material cash requirements include various contractual obligations arising from long-term debt, operating leases, risk management liabilities and asset retirement obligations which are recognized in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company expects to fund long-term material cash requirements primarily with cash from operating activities.
Interest payments include scheduled cash payments on long-term debt and other obligations. Additional information can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Operating leases include drilling rigs, compressors, office and buildings, certain land easements and various equipment utilized in the development and production of oil, NGLs and natural gas, as well as The Bow building. As at December 31, 2025, the Company subleased approximately 50 percent of The Bow office space under the lease agreement. Additional information on leases can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risk management liabilities represent Ovintiv’s net liability positions with counterparties. Additional information can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Contractual commitments relating to transportation and processing commitments, and drilling and field services can be found in Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Further to the commitments discussed above, Ovintiv also has various obligations that become payable if certain future events occur relating to take or pay arrangements and payout of minimum costs as described in Notes 20 and 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the Company has obligations to fund the disposal of long-lived assets upon their abandonment as well as its obligations to fund its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans as described in Notes 17 and 23, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Other than the items discussed above, there are no other transactions, arrangements, or relationships with unconsolidated entities or persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
Contingencies
For information on contingencies, refer to Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. For a discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ from these estimates. Management considers the following to be its most critical accounting estimates that involve judgment. The following discussion outlines the accounting policies and practices involving the use of estimates that are critical to determining Ovintiv’s financial results. Changes in the estimates and assumptions discussed below could materially affect the amount or timing of the financial results of the Company.
| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream Assets and Reserve EstimatesAs Ovintiv follows full cost accounting for oil, NGLs and natural gas activities, reserves estimates are a key input to the Company’s depletion, gain or loss on divestitures and ceiling test impairment calculations. In addition, these reserves are the basis for the Company’s supplemental oil and gas disclosures. | Due to the inter-relationship of various judgments made to reserve estimates and the volatile nature of commodity prices, it is generally not possible to predict the timing or magnitude of ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv estimates its proved oil and natural gas reserves according to the definition of proved reserves provided by the SEC. The Company’s estimates of proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data as well as production performance data and must demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be economically producible in future periods from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. The estimation of reserves is a subjective process. | Revisions to significant reserve estimates are necessary due to changes in and among other things, development plans, projected future rates of production, the timing of future expenditures, reservoir performance, economic conditions, governmental restrictions as well as changes in the expected recovery associated with infill drilling, all of which are subject to numerous uncertainties and various interpretations. Downward revisions in proved reserve estimates due to changes in reserve estimates may increase depletion expense and may also result in a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Reserves are calculated using an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements (“SEC Average Trailing Prices”). | Decreases in prices may result in reductions in certain proved reserves due to reaching economic limits at an earlier projected date and impact earnings through depletion expense and ceiling test impairments. Moreover, acquisitions of oil and natural gas assets are transacted at market prices, which may be higher than the SEC Average Trailing Prices at the reporting date and could result in the recognition of a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs as it gives consideration to probable and possible reserves and future changes in commodity prices. | Ovintiv believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. | |
| Business CombinationsOvintiv follows the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized at the date of acquisition at their respective estimated fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value amounts assigned to assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Any deficiency of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as a gain in net earnings. | The most significant assumptions relate to the estimated fair values assigned to proved and unproved oil and natural gas properties. The assumptions made in performing these valuations include discount rates, future commodity prices and costs, the timing of development activities, projections of oil and gas reserves, and estimates to abandon and reclaim producing wells. Changes in key assumptions may cause the acquisition accounting to be revised, including the recognition of additional goodwill or discount on acquisition. There is no assurance the underlying assumptions or estimates associated with the valuation will occur as initially expected. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Fair value estimates are determined based on information that existed at the time of the acquisition, utilizing expectations and assumptions that would be available to and made by a market participant. When market-observable prices are not available to value assets and liabilities, the Company may use the cost, income, or market valuation approaches depending on the quality of information available to support management’s assumptions. | Estimated fair values assigned to assets acquired can have a significant effect on results of operations in the future through impairments of goodwill. In addition, differences between the future commodity prices when acquiring assets and the historical 12-month average trailing price to calculate ceiling test impairments of upstream assets may impact net earnings. | |
| Goodwill ImpairmentsGoodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in December, at the reporting unit level which are Ovintiv’s country cost centers. To assess impairment, the carrying amount of each reporting unit is determined and compared to the fair value of each respective reporting unit. Any excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, over its fair value is recognized as an impairment and charged to net earnings. The impairment charge measured is limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Subsequent measurement of goodwill is at cost less any accumulated impairments. | The most significant assumptions used to determine a reporting unit’s fair value include estimations of oil and natural gas reserves, including both proved reserves and risk-adjusted unproved reserves assessed by Ovintiv’s internal reservoir engineers, estimates of market prices considering forward commodity price curves as of the measurement date, market discount rates and estimates of operating, administrative, and capital costs adjusted for inflation. In addition, management may support fair value estimates determined with comparable companies that are actively traded in the public market, recent comparable asset transactions, and transaction premiums. This would require management to make certain judgments about the selection of comparable companies utilized. | |
| Because quoted market prices for the Company’s reporting units are not available, management applies judgment in determining the estimated fair value of reporting units for purposes of performing goodwill impairment tests. Ovintiv may use a combination of the income and the market valuation approaches. | ||
| The Company has assessed its goodwill for impairment at December 31, 2025, and no impairment was recognized. The reporting units’ fair values were in excess of the carrying values and as a result were not at risk of failing the impairment test as at December 31, 2025. | Downward revisions of estimated reserves quantities, increases in future cost estimates, sustained decreases in oil or natural gas prices, or divestiture of a significant component of the reporting unit could reduce expected future cash flows and fair value estimates of the reporting units and possibly result in an impairment of goodwill in future periods. | |
| Asset Retirement ObligationAsset retirement obligations are those legal obligations where the Company will be required to retire tangible long-lived assets such as producing well sites, processing plants, and restoring land at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. The fair value of estimated asset retirement obligations is recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet when incurred and a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The asset retirement cost, equal to the initially estimated fair value of the asset retirement obligation, is capitalized as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the estimated obligation are recognized as a change in the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost. Actual expenditures incurred are charged against the accumulated asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. | Asset removal technologies and costs are constantly changing, as are regulatory, political, environmental, safety, and public relations considerations. The asset retirement obligation is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows of the settlement. The discounted cash flows are based on estimates of such factors as reserves lives, retirement costs, timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and inflation rates. Changes in these estimates impact net earnings through accretion of the asset retirement obligation in addition to depletion of the asset retirement cost included in property, plant and equipment. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Derivative Financial InstrumentsOvintiv uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks relating to commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company’s policy is not to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Realized gains or losses from financial derivatives are recognized in net earnings as the contracts are settled. Unrealized gains and losses are recognized in net earnings at the end of each respective reporting period based on the changes in fair value of the contracts.Derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. Fair value estimates are determined using quoted prices in active markets, inferred based on market prices of similar assets and liabilities or valued using internally developed estimates. The Company may use various valuation techniques including the discounted cash flow or option valuation models. | Ovintiv’s derivative financial instruments primarily relate to commodities including oil, NGLs and natural gas. The most significant assumptions used in determining the fair value to the Company’s commodity derivatives financial instruments include estimates of future commodity prices, implied volatilities of commodity prices, discount rates and estimates of counterparty credit risk. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to the period of the contract and market volatility as well as regional price differentials. These inputs may also be observable and corroborated by market data or unobservable and sourced from limited market activity, internally generated estimates or corroborated by third parties. Changes in these estimates and assumptions can impact net earnings, revenues and expenses. | |
| As Ovintiv has chosen not to elect hedge accounting treatment for the Company’s derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments can have a significant impact on Ovintiv’s results of operations. Generally, changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments do not impact the Company’s liquidity or capital resources. Settlements of derivative financial instruments do have an impact on the Company’s liquidity and results of operation. | ||
| Income TaxesOvintiv follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of any temporary difference between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability, using the enacted income tax rates and laws expected to apply when the assets are realized and liabilities are settled. Current income taxes are measured at the amount expected to be recoverable from or payable to the taxing authorities based on the income tax rates and laws enacted at the end of the reporting period. The effect of a change in the enacted tax rates or laws is recognized in net earnings in the period of enactment. | Tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and potential Treasury Department guidance, in the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate are subject to change and interpretation. As such, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty and the interpretations can impact net earnings through the income tax expense arising from the changes in deferred income tax assets or liabilities. | |
| Deferred income tax assets are assessed routinely for realizability. If it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets. | Ovintiv considers available positive and negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, including historic and expected future taxable earnings, available tax planning strategies and carry forward periods. Numerous judgments and assumptions are inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions, particularly related to oil and natural gas prices. | |
| Ovintiv recognizes the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. A recognized tax position is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. Liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to be settled within the next 12 months are included in other liabilities and provisions. | The Company routinely assesses potential uncertain tax positions and, if required, establishes accruals for such amounts. The accruals are adjusted based on changes in facts and circumstances. Material changes to Ovintiv’s income tax accruals may occur in the future based on the progress of ongoing audits, changes in legislation or resolution of pending matters. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| The Company is required to assess whether the unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are considered to be permanently reinvested. Changes in repatriation plans are evaluated based on the specific facts and circumstances to determine how those changes affect the recognition and measurement of income tax liabilities and whether those changes in plans affect Ovintiv’s ongoing assertions related to the indefinite reinvestment of basis differences. If the indefinite reinvestment assertion can no longer be made, a deferred tax liability is generally required for a book-over-tax outside basis difference attributable to the foreign subsidiaries. | Ovintiv has assessed that its unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are permanently reinvested. As at December 31, 2025, the Company has a taxable temporary difference of approximately $261 million in respect of unremitted earnings that continue to be permanently reinvested for which a deferred income tax liability of $13 million has not been recognized and becomes subject to taxation upon the remittance of dividends. The deferred tax liability considers U.S. federal, state and foreign withholding tax implications. | |
| Contingent LiabilitiesOvintiv is subject to various legal proceedings, environmental remediation, commercial and regulatory claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable, except for contingencies acquired in a business combination which are recorded at fair value at the time of the acquisition. If a loss is probable but the Company cannot estimate a specific amount for that loss, the best estimate within the range is accrued and if no amount is better within the range, the minimum amount is accrued. | The establishment and evaluation of a contingent loss is based on advice from legal counsel, advisors or consultants and management’s judgment. Actual costs can vary from such estimates for various reasons including: i) differing interpretation of the law, opinions on responsibility and assessments on the amount of damages; ii) changes in status of litigation or claims and information available; iii) differing interpretation of regulations by regulators or the courts; iv) changes in laws and regulations; and v) additional or developing information relating to extent and nature of environmental remediation and technology improvements. The Company monitors known and potential legal, environmental and other claims or contingencies based on available information. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently foreseeable could result in the actual liabilities recorded exceeding the estimated amounts accrued. |
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Non-GAAP Measures
Certain measures in this document do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by U.S. GAAP and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. These measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry and by Ovintiv to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Non-GAAP measures include: Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA. Management’s use of these measures is discussed further below.
Cash from Operating Activities and Non-GAAP Cash Flow
Non-GAAP Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as cash from (used in) operating activities excluding net change in other assets and liabilities, and net change in non-cash working capital.
Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operating and financial performance across periods and against other companies in the industry, and is an indication of the Company’s ability to generate cash to finance capital investment programs, to service debt and to meet other financial obligations. This measure is used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash From (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 3,652 | $ | 3,721 | ||||
| (Add back) deduct: | ||||||||
| Net change in other assets and liabilities | (40 | ) | (74 | ) | ||||
| Net change in non-cash working capital | (93 | ) | (247 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow | $ | 3,785 | $ | 4,042 |
Debt to Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted Capitalization
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization is a non-GAAP measure which adjusts capitalization for historical ceiling test impairments that were recorded as at December 31, 2011. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization as a proxy for the Company’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities and Term Credit Agreement which require Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. Adjusted Capitalization includes debt, total shareholders’ equity and an equity adjustment for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded as at December 31, 2011, in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,202 | $ | 5,453 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 11,195 | 10,331 | |||||
| Capitalization | $ | 16,397 | $ | 15,784 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization | 32% | 35% | |||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,202 | $ | 5,453 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 11,195 | 10,331 | |||||
| Equity Adjustment for Impairments at December 31, 2011 | 7,746 | 7,746 | |||||
| Adjusted Capitalization | $ | 24,143 | $ | 23,530 | |||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization | 22% | 23% |
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Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. EBITDA is defined as trailing 12‑month net earnings (loss) before income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and interest. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA adjusted for impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, unrealized gains/losses on risk management, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on divestitures and other gains/losses.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of financial leverage and the Company’s ability to service its debt and other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain financial performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,202 | $ | 5,453 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 1,242 | 1,125 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 2,179 | 2,290 | ||||||
| Interest | 376 | 412 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | (472 | ) | 226 | |||||
| EBITDA | $ | 3,325 | $ | 4,053 | ||||
| Debt to EBITDA (times) | 1.6 | 1.3 | ||||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,202 | $ | 5,453 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 1,242 | 1,125 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 2,179 | 2,290 | ||||||
| Impairments | 920 | 450 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 28 | 19 | ||||||
| Interest | 376 | 412 | ||||||
| Unrealized (gains) losses on risk management | (6 | ) | 136 | |||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | 31 | (19 | ) | |||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (46 | ) | (165 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | (472 | ) | 226 | |||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,252 | $ | 4,474 | ||||
| Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (times) | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000950170-25-027914.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective, which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s consolidated 2024 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 results. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2024 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Discussion and analysis of 2022 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 results that are not included in this Form 10-K, can be found in Item 7 of the 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This MD&A includes the following sections:
•
Executive Overview
•
Results of Operations
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Accounting Policies and Estimates
•
Non-GAAP Measures
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv aims to be a leading North American energy producer and is focused on developing its high-quality multi-basin portfolio of oil and natural gas producing plays as part of its strategy outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv is committed to delivering quality returns from its capital investment, generating significant cash flows and providing durable cash returns to its shareholders through the commodity price cycle. The Company aims to achieve its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and commercial acumen and risk management. In addition, the Company is dedicated to driving progress in areas of environmental, social, and governance, aligning with its commitment to corporate responsibility.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet.
Ovintiv continually monitors and evaluates changing market conditions to maximize cash flows, mitigate risks and renew its premium well inventory. The Company’s high-quality assets, located in the United States and Canada, form a multi-basin, multi-product portfolio which enables flexible and efficient investment of capital that supports the Company’s strategy.
Ovintiv seeks to deliver results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics, targets and relative progress achieved, can be found in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A and on the Company’s sustainability website.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and shareholder value.
For additional information on Ovintiv’s strategy, its reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information on the segmented results, refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
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In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non‑GAAP Cash Flow and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Highlights
During 2024, the Company focused on executing its capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, and delivering cash from operating activities.
The Company had lower upstream product revenues in 2024 compared to 2023, which primarily resulted from lower average realized natural gas prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, partially offset by higher total production volumes. Decreases in average realized natural gas prices of 38 percent, were primarily due to lower benchmark prices. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.
Significant Developments and Subsequent Events
•
On January 31, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced acquisition of certain Montney assets from Paramount Resources Ltd. (“Paramount”), in an all-cash transaction of approximately $2.307 billion (C$3.325 billion) before closing adjustments (“Montney Acquisition”). The acquisition will add approximately 109,000 net acres in the core of the liquids-rich Alberta Montney. The transaction had an effective date of October 1, 2024.
•
On January 22, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced divestiture of substantially all of its Uinta assets, comprising approximately 126,000 net acres in the Uinta Basin of Utah, to FourPoint Resources, LLC, for approximately $2.0 billion before closing adjustments. The transaction had an effective date of October 1, 2024.
•
On September 26, 2024, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 25.9 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2024 to October 2, 2025. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents 10 percent of Ovintiv’s public float as at September 20, 2024. In conjunction with the announced transactions discussed above, the Company has temporarily paused its share buyback program, starting in October 2024, and expects to resume the buybacks in the second quarter of 2025.
Financial Results
•
Reported net earnings of $1,125 million, or $4.21 per share diluted, including a non-cash ceiling test impairment of $350 million, after tax, or $1.31 per share diluted, and net gains of $156 million, or $0.58 per share diluted, from net settlement proceeds related to previous dispositions of certain legacy assets.
•
Recognized net gains on risk management in revenues of $135 million, before tax.
•
Generated cash from operating activities of $3,721 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $4,042 million. Cash from operating activities exceeded capital expenditures by $1,418 million.
•
Purchased for cancellation, approximately 12.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $597 million.
•
Paid dividends of $1.20 per share of common stock totaling $316 million.
•
Had approximately $3.6 billion in total liquidity as at December 31, 2024, which included available credit facilities of $3.5 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $91 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $42 million.
•
Reported Debt to EBITDA of 1.3 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 1.2 times.
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Capital Investment
•
Reported total capital spending of $2,303 million, which was within the full year 2024 investment guidance range of approximately $2,275 million to $2,325 million.
•
Focused on highly efficient capital activity to benefit from short-cycle high margin and/or low-cost projects which provide flexibility to respond to fluctuations in commodity prices, as discussed in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A.
Production
•
Produced average liquids volumes of 302.0 Mbbls/d, which accounted for 52 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 211.2 Mbbls/d, or 70 percent of total liquids production volumes, exceeded full year 2024 guidance range of 209.0 Mbbls/d to 211.0 Mbbls/d.
•
Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,698 MMcf/d, which accounted for 48 percent of total production volumes. Average natural gas volumes were slightly below the full year 2024 guidance range of 1,700 MMcf/d to 1,715 MMcf/d.
•
Produced average total volumes of 585.0 MBOE/d, which was within full year 2024 guidance range of 583.0 MBOE/d to 587.0 MBOE/d.
Operating Expenses
•
Incurred upstream transportation and processing expenses of $1,553 million or $7.25 per BOE, a decrease of $50 million compared to 2023, primarily due to the impact of new downstream contracts in Uinta, the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023, lower flow-through rates in Montney and lower production volumes in Anadarko. The decrease was partially offset by higher production volumes in Permian, Uinta and Montney, and increased minimum volume commitments associated with certain gathering and processing assets in Montney. Upstream transportation and processing expenses of $7.25 per BOE was below the full year 2024 guidance range of $7.50 per BOE to $8.00 per BOE primarily due to lower than expected natural gas commodity prices. The full year 2024 guidance range was based on commodity price assumptions of $75.00 per barrel for WTI oil and $2.50 per MMBtu for NYMEX natural gas.
•
Incurred upstream operating expenses of $908 million or $4.24 per BOE, an increase of $77 million compared to 2023, primarily due to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023. Upstream operating expenses of $4.24 per BOE was slightly below the full year 2024 guidance range of $4.25 per BOE to $4.75 per BOE.
•
Incurred total production, mineral and other taxes of $333 million. This represents approximately 4.5 percent of upstream product revenues which was within the full year 2024 guidance range of four percent to five percent of upstream product revenues. Total production, mineral and other taxes decreased by $9 million compared to 2023, primarily due to the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023, lower production volumes in Anadarko and lower natural gas commodity prices, partially offset by higher production volumes in Permian and Uinta.
Additional information on the items above and other expenses can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, Ovintiv reassessed its reportable segments and reclassified its Market Optimization segment to present the Company’s market optimization activities in their respective USA and Canadian operating segments, which they support (“Segment Reclassification”). Additional information on the Segment Reclassification can be found in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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2025 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil and Natural Gas Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.
Oil prices for 2025 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between the pace of global economic growth and demand for oil, OPEC+ and non-OPEC+ production levels and continued supply uncertainties resulting from geopolitical events. Supply and the accumulation of global oil inventories are expected to be impacted by changes in OPEC+ and non-OPEC+ production levels, consumer demand behavior and geopolitical volatility.
Natural gas prices are primarily impacted by structural changes in supply and demand, deviations from seasonally normal weather, as well as volatility in regional markets.
Natural gas prices for 2025 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between natural gas production and associated natural gas from oil production, changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of U.S. liquefied natural gas, impacts from seasonal weather, as well as supply chain constraints or other disruptions resulting from geopolitical events.
U.S. sanctions and tariffs on certain products could impact supply and demand within global markets and are likely to contribute to commodity price volatility as markets continue to evaluate and respond to these impacts.
Company Outlook
The Company will continue to exercise discretion and discipline, and intends to optimize capital allocation throughout 2025 as the commodity price environment evolves. Ovintiv pursues innovative ways to maximize cash flows, and to reduce operating and administrative expenses.
Markets for oil and natural gas are exposed to different price risks and are inherently volatile. The Company enters into derivative financial instruments to mitigate price volatility and provide more certainty around cash flows. As at December 31, 2024, in conjunction with the Company’s Uinta disposition, Ovintiv hedged, on behalf of the purchaser, approximately 11.6 Mbbls/d to 17.6 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 14 MMcf/d to 19 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production over three years with terms extending to 2027. Upon closing of the Uinta disposition on January 22, 2025, these risk management contracts were novated to the purchaser.
As at February 14, 2025, the Company has hedged approximately 50.0 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 500 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production for the remainder of the year. In addition, Ovintiv proactively utilizes transportation contracts to diversify the Company’s sales markets, thereby reducing significant exposure to any given market and regional pricing.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s hedging program can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Capital Investment
The Company plans to spend approximately $2,150 million to $2,250 million on its full year 2025 capital investment program, focusing on maximizing returns from high-margin oil and condensate. In 2025, the Company expects to generate cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
Ovintiv continually strives to improve well performance and lower costs through innovative techniques. Ovintiv’s large-scale cube development model utilizes multi-well pads and advanced completion designs to maximize returns and resource recovery from its reservoirs. Ovintiv’s disciplined capital program and continuous innovation create flexibility to allocate capital in changing commodity markets to maximize cash flows while preserving the long-term value of the Company’s multi-basin portfolio.
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Production
In 2025, the Company expects full year average total production volumes of approximately 595 MBOE/d to 615 MBOE/d, including oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 202.0 Mbbls/d to 208.0 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 87.0 Mbbls/d to 92.0 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 1,825 MMcf/d to 1,875 MMcf/d.
Operating Expenses
Ovintiv promotes a collaborative culture that values knowledge exchange, open communication, continuous improvement and learning. This culture stimulates innovation and fosters the creation of best practices resulting in efficiency improvements and enhanced operational performance for the Company.
In 2025, the Company expects to incur full year upstream transportation and processing costs of approximately $7.50 per BOE to $8.00 per BOE, upstream operating expenses of approximately $3.75 per BOE to $4.25 per BOE, and total production, mineral and other taxes of approximately 3.75 to 4.50 percent of upstream revenues.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s 2025 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ovintiv.com.
Environmental, Social and Governance
Ovintiv recognizes the importance of implementing and maintaining sustainable practices to reduce its environmental footprint. The Company voluntarily participates in emission reduction programs and has adopted a range of strategies to help reduce emissions from its operations. These strategies include incorporating new and proven technologies, optimizing processes in its operations and working closely with third-party providers to develop best practices. The Company continues to look for innovative techniques and efficiencies in support of its commitment to emission reductions.
In May 2024, Ovintiv published its 2023 Sustainability Report. The report highlights the Company’s 2023 environmental, social and governance results, and its progress in emissions intensity reductions with the goal to meet its Scope 1&2 GHG emissions target by 2030. As at the end of 2024, the Company had achieved a greater than 45 percent reduction in the Scope 1&2 GHG emissions intensity from 2019 levels and is on track to meet its emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent by 2030 measured against the 2019 baseline. Ovintiv remains committed to its GHG emissions reduction target and has tied the target to the Company’s annual compensation program for all employees. In addition, Ovintiv continues to work towards eliminating routine flaring in its operations.
In conjunction with the Company’s strategy, Ovintiv may acquire assets to strengthen its multi-basin portfolio. All acquisitions are thoroughly assessed and evaluated for environmental impacts and alignment with the Company’s GHG emissions target. Ovintiv works to integrate sustainable practices within the acquired operations to support company-wide sustainability objectives.
The Company’s social commitment framework, which is rooted in the Company’s foundational values of integrity, safety, sustainability, trust and respect, reflects Ovintiv’s positive contributions to the communities where it operates and highlights the Company’s approach to enabling an inclusive culture that embraces diversity of thought, background and experience.
Ovintiv remains committed to protecting the health and safety of its workforce. Safety is a foundational value at Ovintiv and plays a critical role in the Company’s belief that a safe workplace is a strong indicator of a well-managed business. This safety-oriented mindset enables the Company to quickly respond to emergencies and minimize any impacts to employees and business continuity. Safety performance goals are incorporated into the Company’s annual compensation program. Additional information on talent management and employee safety can be found in the Human Capital section of Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further information on Ovintiv’s sustainable business practices are outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and on the Company’s sustainability website at sustainability.ovintiv.com.
57
Results of Operations
Selected Financial Information
| ($ millions) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product and Service Revenues | |||||||
| Upstream product revenues (1) | $ | 7,350 | $ | 7,805 | |||
| Service revenues (2) | 8 | 7 | |||||
| Total Product and Service Revenues | 7,358 | 7,812 | |||||
| Sales of Purchased Product (1) | 1,585 | 2,849 | |||||
| Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | 135 | 151 | |||||
| Sublease Revenues | 74 | 71 | |||||
| Total Revenues | 9,152 | 10,883 | |||||
| Total Operating Expenses (3) | 7,573 | 8,019 | |||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | 1,579 | 2,864 | |||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | 228 | 354 | |||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) Before Income Tax | 1,351 | 2,510 | |||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | 226 | 425 | |||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 1,125 | $ | 2,085 |
(1)
In conjunction with the Segment Reclassification as discussed in the Highlights section of this MD&A, prior period results have been reclassified for comparative purposes.
(2)
Service revenues comprise third-party gathering and processing fees.
(3)
Total Operating Expenses include non-cash items such as DD&A, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligations and long-term incentive costs.
Revenues
Ovintiv’s revenues are substantially derived from sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas production. Increases or decreases in Ovintiv’s revenue, profitability and future production are highly dependent on the commodity prices the Company receives. Prices are market driven and fluctuate due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as supply and demand, seasonality and geopolitical and economic factors. The Company’s realized prices generally reflect WTI, NYMEX, Edmonton Condensate and AECO benchmark prices, as well as other downstream benchmarks, including Houston and Dawn. The Company proactively mitigates price risk and optimizes margins by entering into firm transportation contracts to diversify market access to different sales points. Realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, may differ from the benchmarks for many reasons, including quality, location, or production being sold at different market hubs.
Benchmark prices relevant to the Company are shown in the table below.
Benchmark Prices
| (average for the period) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil & NGLs | |||||||
| WTI ($/bbl) | $ | 75.72 | $ | 77.62 | |||
| Houston ($/bbl) | 77.24 | 78.95 | |||||
| Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | 100.34 | 103.76 | |||||
| Natural Gas | |||||||
| NYMEX ($/MMBtu) | $ | 2.27 | $ | 2.74 | |||
| AECO (C$/Mcf) | 1.44 | 2.93 | |||||
| Dawn (C$/MMBtu) | 2.79 | 3.15 |
58
Production Volumes and Realized Prices
| Production Volumes (1) | Realized Prices (2) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 167.9 | 158.8 | $ | 73.90 | $ | 76.46 | ||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 0.4 | 0.1 | 70.38 | 81.59 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 168.3 | 158.9 | 73.90 | 76.46 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 11.2 | 10.9 | 57.83 | 58.53 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 31.7 | 32.0 | 71.97 | 74.52 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 42.9 | 42.9 | 68.28 | 70.46 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 75.8 | 74.6 | 18.02 | 16.27 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 15.0 | 15.6 | 27.45 | 26.78 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 90.8 | 90.2 | 19.57 | 18.09 | ||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 254.9 | 244.3 | 56.57 | 57.29 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 47.1 | 47.7 | 57.80 | 58.93 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 302.0 | 292.0 | 56.76 | 57.55 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d, $/Mcf) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 537 | 517 | 1.62 | 2.43 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,161 | 1,125 | 1.73 | 2.89 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,698 | 1,642 | 1.70 | 2.74 | ||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d, $/BOE) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 344.4 | 330.4 | 44.39 | 46.15 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 240.6 | 235.2 | 19.67 | 25.76 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 585.0 | 565.6 | 34.22 | 37.67 | ||||||||||||
| Production Mix (%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Plant Condensate | 36 | 36 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other | 16 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 52 | 52 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 48 | 48 | ||||||||||||||
| Production Change – Year Over Year (%) (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 3 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 3 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Production | 3 | 11 |
(1)
Average daily.
(2)
Average per-unit prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities.
(3)
Includes production impacts of acquisitions and divestitures. See Notes 8 and 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
59
Upstream Product Revenues, Excluding Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management
| ($ millions) | Oil | NGLs - Plant Condensate | NGLs - Other | Natural Gas | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Upstream Product Revenues (1) (2) | $ | 4,447 | $ | 1,110 | $ | 598 | $ | 1,649 | $ | 7,804 | ||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) due to: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales prices | (167 | ) | (31 | ) | 51 | (650 | ) | (797 | ) | |||||||||||
| Production volumes | 279 | 1 | 3 | 60 | 343 | |||||||||||||||
| 2024 Upstream Product Revenues | $ | 4,559 | $ | 1,080 | $ | 652 | $ | 1,059 | $ | 7,350 |
(1)
Revenues for 2023 exclude certain other revenue and royalty adjustments with no associated production volumes of $1 million.
(2)
In conjunction with the Segment Reclassification as discussed in the Highlights section of this MD&A, prior period results have been reclassified for comparative purposes.
Oil Revenues
2024 versus 2023
Oil revenues were higher by $112 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Higher average oil production volumes of 9.4 Mbbls/d increased revenues by $279 million. Higher volumes were primarily due to the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 (21.1 Mbbls/d) and successful drilling in Uinta (7.5 Mbbls/d), partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 (9.3 Mbbls/d) and natural declines in Anadarko (8.7 Mbbls/d); and
•
A decrease of $2.56 per bbl, or three percent, in the average realized oil prices which decreased revenues by $167 million. The decrease reflected lower WTI and Houston benchmark prices which were both down two percent and the lower regional pricing relative to benchmark prices.
NGL Revenues
2024 versus 2023
NGL revenues were higher by $24 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
An increase of $1.48 per bbl, or eight percent, in the average realized other NGL prices which increased revenues by $51 million. The increase reflected higher other NGL benchmark prices and higher regional pricing; and
•
A decrease of $2.18 per bbl, or three percent, in the average realized plant condensate prices which decreased revenues by $31 million. The decrease reflected the lower Edmonton Condensate benchmark price which was down three percent.
Natural Gas Revenues
2024 versus 2023
Natural gas revenues were lower by $590 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
A decrease of $1.04 per Mcf, or 38 percent, in the average realized natural gas prices which decreased revenues by $650 million. The decrease reflected lower AECO, NYMEX and Dawn benchmark prices which were down 51 percent, 17 percent and 11 percent, respectively, and lower regional pricing relative to benchmark prices in the USA Operations; and
•
Higher average natural gas production volumes of 56 MMcf/d increased revenues by $60 million. Higher volumes were primarily due to successful drilling in Permian and Montney (73 MMcf/d), lower effective royalty rates resulting from lower commodity prices in Montney (46 MMcf/d), and the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 (12 MMcf/d). The higher production volumes were partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 (23 MMcf/d), the shut-in of production in Other Canadian Operations in 2024 due to low commodity prices (20 MMcf/d), natural declines in Anadarko (17 MMcf/d), and third-party plant outages in Montney and Permian (15 MMcf/d).
60
Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net
As a means of managing commodity price volatility, Ovintiv enters into commodity derivative financial instruments on a portion of its expected oil, NGLs and natural gas production volumes. Additional information on the Company’s commodity price positions as at December 31, 2024 can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table provides the effects of the Company’s risk management activities on revenues.
| $ millions | Per-Unit | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commodity Price | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oil ($/bbl) | $ | (34 | ) | $ | (24 | ) | $ | (0.55 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | ||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate ($/bbl) | (1 | ) | 1 | $ | (0.04 | ) | $ | 0.05 | ||||||||||
| NGLs - Other ($/bbl) | 4 | - | $ | 0.13 | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas ($/Mcf) | 298 | (21 | ) | $ | 0.47 | $ | (0.03 | ) | ||||||||||
| Other (1) | 4 | 1 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Total ($/BOE) | 271 | (43 | ) | $ | 1.25 | $ | (0.21 | ) | ||||||||||
| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | (136 | ) | 194 | |||||||||||||||
| Total Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | $ | 135 | $ | 151 |
(1)
Other primarily includes realized gains or losses from other derivative contracts with no associated production volumes.
Ovintiv recognizes fair value changes from its risk management activities each reporting period. The changes in fair value result from new positions and settlements that occur during each period, as well as the relationship between contract prices and the associated forward curves. Realized gains or losses on risk management activities related to commodity price mitigation are included in the USA and Canadian Operations’ revenues as the contracts are cash settled. Unrealized gains or losses on fair value changes of unsettled contracts are included in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on fair value changes can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Sales of Purchased Product
Revenues from the sale of purchased product relate to activities that provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification within the USA and Canadian Operations segments.
| ($ millions) | 2024 | 2023 (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales of Purchased Product | $ | 1,585 | $ | 2,849 |
(1)
In conjunction with the Segment Reclassification as discussed in the Highlights section in this MD&A, prior period results have been reclassified for comparative purposes.
2024 versus 2023
Sales of purchased product decreased $1,264 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Lower sales of third-party purchased volumes in the USA Operations ($1,170 million) and lower natural gas benchmark prices ($114 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher realized third-party prices on sales of purchased oil volumes ($20 million).
Sublease Revenues
Sublease revenues primarily include amounts related to the sublease of office space in The Bow office building recorded in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on office sublease income can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
61
Operating Expenses
Production, Mineral and Other Taxes
Production, mineral and other taxes include production and property taxes. Production taxes are generally assessed as a percentage of oil, NGLs and natural gas production revenues. Property taxes are generally assessed based on the value of the underlying assets.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 319 | $ | 327 | $ | 2.53 | $ | 2.71 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 14 | 15 | $ | 0.16 | $ | 0.18 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 333 | $ | 342 | $ | 1.56 | $ | 1.66 |
2024 versus 2023
Production, mineral and other taxes decreased $9 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
The sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($26 million), lower production volumes in Anadarko ($18 million), lower production tax rates ($9 million) and lower natural gas commodity prices ($6 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher volumes in Permian and Uinta ($42 million) and higher property taxes in Permian primarily due to the assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 ($11 million).
Transportation and Processing
Transportation and processing expense includes transportation costs incurred to move product from production points to sales points including gathering, compression, pipeline tariffs, trucking and storage costs. Ovintiv also incurs costs related to processing provided by third parties or through ownership interests in processing facilities.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 510 | $ | 547 | $ | 4.04 | $ | 4.54 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,043 | 1,056 | $ | 11.85 | $ | 12.29 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Transportation and Processing | 1,553 | 1,603 | $ | 7.25 | $ | 7.76 | |||||||||||
| Other (1) | 86 | 163 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,639 | $ | 1,766 |
(1)
Other includes pipeline transportation fees associated with previously divested assets in the USA Operations of approximately $50 million (2023 - $136 million) and other third-party transportation and processing fees in the Canadian Operations of approximately $36 million (2023 - $27 million).
2024 versus 2023
Transportation and processing expense decreased $127 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
An expired pipeline transportation contract ($86 million), the impact of new downstream contracts in Uinta ($53 million), the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($46 million), lower flow-through rates in Montney ($20 million), lower production volumes in Anadarko ($18 million), a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($17 million), the shut-in of production in Other Canadian Operations in 2024 due to low commodity prices ($11 million) and lower variable contract rates in Permian ($4 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher volumes in Permian, Uinta and Montney ($87 million), increased minimum volume commitments associated with certain gathering and processing assets in Montney ($20 million) and higher downstream transportation costs in Montney ($12 million).
62
Operating
Operating expense includes costs paid by the Company, net of amounts capitalized, on oil and natural gas properties in which Ovintiv has a working interest. These costs primarily include labor, service contract fees, chemicals, fuel, water hauling, electricity and workovers.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 799 | $ | 743 | $ | 6.34 | $ | 6.15 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 109 | 88 | $ | 1.24 | $ | 1.04 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Operating Expense | 908 | 831 | $ | 4.24 | $ | 4.03 | |||||||||||
| Other (1) | 23 | 28 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 931 | $ | 859 |
(1)
Other includes indirect internal costs of $11 million and $12 million in the USA and Canadian Operations, respectively (2023 - $14 million and $14 million, respectively).
2024 versus 2023
Operating expense increased $72 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Higher activity in Permian primarily related to the assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 ($98 million), updates to operating contract terms, including a recovery of prior years’ costs in 2023 ($31 million), increased activity in Uinta primarily due to workovers ($10 million) and lower capitalization of directly attributable internal costs in Montney ($8 million);
partially offset by:
•
The sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($41 million) and decreased activity in Anadarko ($24 million).
Purchased Product
Purchased product expense includes purchases of oil, NGLs and natural gas from third parties that are used to provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification within the USA and Canadian Operations segments.
| ($ millions) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchased Product | $ | 1,546 | $ | 2,815 |
2024 versus 2023
Purchased product expense decreased $1,269 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Lower third-party purchased volumes in the USA Operations ($1,169 million) and lower natural gas benchmark prices ($119 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher purchase prices on third-party oil volumes ($19 million).
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Depreciation, Depletion & Amortization
Proved properties within each country cost center are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves as discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Depletion rates are impacted by impairments, acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange rates, as well as fluctuations in 12-month average trailing prices which affect proved reserves volumes. Corporate assets are carried at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the assets.
Additional information can be found under Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of this MD&A.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Upstream | |||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 1,971 | $ | 1,519 | $ | 15.64 | $ | 12.60 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 297 | 286 | $ | 3.37 | $ | 3.33 | |||||||||||
| Upstream DD&A | 2,268 | 1,805 | $ | 10.60 | $ | 8.74 | |||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 22 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 2,290 | $ | 1,825 |
2024 versus 2023
DD&A increased $465 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Higher depletion rates and production volumes in the USA Operations ($384 million and $68 million, respectively).
The depletion rate in the USA Operations increased $3.04 per BOE compared to 2023 primarily due to a higher depletable base.
Ceiling Test Impairment
Under full cost accounting, the carrying amount of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties within each country cost center is subject to a ceiling test performed quarterly. Ceiling test impairments are recognized when the capitalized costs, net of accumulated depletion and the related deferred income taxes, exceed the sum of the estimated after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves as calculated under SEC requirements using the 12-month average trailing prices and discounted at 10 percent. The 12‑month average trailing price is calculated as the average of the price on the first day of each month within the trailing 12‑month period.
In 2024, the Company recognized a before-tax non-cash ceiling test impairment of $450 million in the Canadian Operations. The non-cash ceiling test impairment primarily resulted from the decline in the 12-month average trailing prices, which reduced proved reserves.
The 12-month average trailing prices used in the ceiling test calculations were based on the benchmark prices below. The benchmark prices were adjusted for basis differentials to determine local reference prices, transportation costs and tariffs, heat content and quality.
| Oil & NGLs | Natural Gas | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTI ($/bbl) | Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | Henry Hub ($/MMBtu) | AECO (C$/MMBtu) | |||||||||||||
| 12-Month Average Trailing Reserves Pricing (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 75.48 | 99.60 | 2.13 | 1.26 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | 78.22 | 104.61 | 2.64 | 2.78 |
(1)
All prices were held constant in all future years when estimating net revenues and reserves.
Further declines in the 12‑month average trailing commodity prices could further reduce proved reserves values and result in the recognition of future ceiling test impairments. Future ceiling test impairments can also result from changes to reserves estimates, future development costs, capitalized costs and unproved property costs. Moreover, acquisitions
64
of oil and natural gas assets are transacted at market prices, which may be higher than the SEC average trailing prices at the reporting date and could result in the recognition of a ceiling test impairment. Proceeds received from oil and natural gas divestitures are typically deducted from the Company’s capitalized costs and can reduce the risk of ceiling test impairments.
On January 31, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced Montney Acquisition, as discussed in the Significant Developments and Subsequent Events section of this MD&A. The acquisition was recognized at its purchased value using market prices. On March 31, 2025, when Ovintiv performs its required ceiling test for the Canadian cost center, the Company expects the 12-month average trailing prices used in the ceiling test calculation to be lower than the market prices used in the valuation of the Montney Acquisition. Accordingly, the Company expects to recognize an after-tax impairment in the Canadian cost center between approximately $400 million to $600 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. No impairment is expected in the U.S. cost center.
The additional estimated after-tax ceiling test impairment is not expected to impact proved undeveloped reserves for the Canadian Operations. Due to uncertainties in estimating proved reserves, the additional after-tax ceiling test impairment described above and resulting implications may not be indicative of Ovintiv’s future development plans, operating or financial results.
The Company believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. The discounted after-tax future net cash flows do not consider the fair market value of unamortized unproved properties, or probable or possible liquids and natural gas reserves. In addition, there is no consideration given to the effect of future changes in commodity prices. Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs. Additional information on the ceiling test calculation can be found in Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Administrative
Administrative expense represents costs associated with corporate functions provided by Ovintiv staff. These expenses primarily include salaries and benefits, operating leases, office, information technology, transaction, restructuring and long-term incentive costs.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative, excluding Long-Term Incentive Costs, Restructuring | |||||||||||||||||
| Costs, Transaction and Legal Costs (1) | $ | 283 | $ | 278 | $ | 1.32 | $ | 1.35 | |||||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 40 | 22 | 0.19 | 0.11 | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring costs | 27 | - | 0.13 | - | |||||||||||||
| Transaction and legal costs | 15 | 93 | 0.07 | 0.45 | |||||||||||||
| Total Administrative | $ | 365 | $ | 393 | $ | 1.71 | $ | 1.91 |
(1)
Includes costs related to The Bow office lease of $116 million (2023 - $114 million), half of which is recovered from sublease revenues.
2024 versus 2023
Administrative expense decreased $28 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Transaction costs incurred mainly related to the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 ($83 million);
partially offset by:
•
Restructuring costs incurred in 2024 ($27 million), higher long-term incentive costs resulting from changes in the Company’s share price in 2023 ($18 million), and increases in travel and legal costs ($9 million).
In October 2024, Ovintiv undertook a plan to reduce its workforce by approximately 10 percent as part of a corporate reorganization. Additional information on restructuring charges and long-term incentive costs can be found in Notes 21 and 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Other (Income) Expenses
| ($ millions) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest | $ | 412 | $ | 355 | ||||
| Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net | (19 | ) | 19 | |||||
| Other (Gains) Losses, Net | (165 | ) | (20 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | $ | 228 | $ | 354 |
Interest
Interest expense primarily includes interest on Ovintiv’s short-term and long-term debt. Additional information on changes in interest can be found in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2024 versus 2023
Interest expense increased $57 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Interest expense related to the senior unsecured notes issued in May 2023 ($57 million) and bridge loan financing fees related to the Montney Acquisition as discussed in the Highlights section in this MD&A ($12 million);
partially offset by:
•
Decreased amounts drawn from the Company’s short-term borrowings ($9 million).
Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net
Foreign exchange gains and losses primarily result from the impact of fluctuations in the Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate. Additional information on changes in foreign exchange gains or losses can be found in Notes 5 and 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information on foreign exchange rates and the effects of foreign exchange rate changes can be found in Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2024 versus 2023
Net foreign exchange gain of $19 million compared to a loss of $19 million in 2023 primarily due to:
•
Unrealized foreign exchange gains on the translation of intercompany notes compared to losses in 2023 ($71 million), realized foreign exchange gains on the settlement of intercompany notes compared to losses in 2023 ($49 million) and gains on other monetary revaluations compared to losses in 2023 ($26 million);
partially offset by:
•
Unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada compared to gains in 2023 ($112 million).
Other (Gains) Losses, Net
Other (gains) losses, net, primarily includes other non-recurring revenues or expenses and may also include items such as interest income, reclamation charges related to decommissioned assets, proceeds related to previously divested assets and adjustments related to other assets.
During 2024, the Company received settlement proceeds of approximately $156 million related to the previous dispositions of certain legacy assets. Accordingly, the Company recognized total net proceeds of $156 million as a gain within Other (gains) losses, net. Additional information on the net settlement proceeds can be found in Note 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other gains in 2024 also includes interest income of $7 million primarily generated from short-term investments (2023 ‑ $11 million).
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Income Tax
In 2024, current income tax expense in the U.S. of $8 million is lower than 2023 primarily due to the impact of the corporate alternative minimum tax and lower state income tax expense. In Canada, the current income tax expense in 2024 of $74 million is lower than 2023 primarily due to the recognition of prior year deferred income in 2023.
The determination of income and other tax liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries requires interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws and regulations, that are subject to change. The Company’s interpretation of tax laws may differ from the interpretation of the tax authorities. As a result, there are tax matters under review for which the timing of resolution is uncertain. The Company believes that the provision for income taxes is adequate.
On June 20, 2024, Canada enacted its Global Minimum Tax Act (“GMTA”), which implements the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Pillar II framework, providing a global minimum tax rate of 15 percent. The GMTA did not have a material impact to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements in 2024.
Additional information on income taxes can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
The Company has the flexibility to access cash equivalents and a range of funding alternatives at competitive rates through committed revolving credit facilities as well as debt and equity capital markets. Ovintiv closely monitors the accessibility of cost-effective credit and ensures that sufficient liquidity is in place to fund capital expenditures and dividend payments. In addition, the Company may use cash and cash equivalents, cash from operating activities, or proceeds from asset divestitures to fund its operations and capital allocation framework or to manage its capital structure as discussed below. At December 31, 2024, $38 million in cash and cash equivalents was held by Canadian subsidiaries. The cash held by Canadian subsidiaries is accessible and may be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and Canadian withholding taxes if repatriated.
The Company’s capital structure consists of total shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including any current portion. The Company’s objectives when managing its capital structure are to maintain financial flexibility to preserve Ovintiv’s access to capital markets and its ability to meet financial obligations and finance internally generated growth, as well as potential acquisitions. Ovintiv has a practice of maintaining capital discipline and strategically managing its capital structure by adjusting capital spending, adjusting dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new shares of common stock, purchasing shares of common stock for cancellation or return to treasury, issuing new debt and repaying or repurchasing existing debt.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $ | 42 | $ | 3 | ||||
| Available Credit Facilities | 3,500 | 3,486 | ||||||
| Available Uncommitted Demand Lines (1) | 91 | 234 | ||||||
| Issuance of U.S. Commercial Paper | - | (270 | ) | |||||
| Total Liquidity | $ | 3,633 | $ | 3,453 | ||||
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 5,453 | $ | 5,737 | ||||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | $ | 10,331 | $ | 10,370 | ||||
| Debt to Capitalization (%) (2) | 35 | 36 | ||||||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization (%) (2) | 23 | 24 |
(1)
Includes three uncommitted demand lines totaling $295 million, net of $204 million in related undrawn letters of credit (2023 - $289 million and $55 million, respectively).
(2)
These measures are defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
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In December 2024, the Company renewed its committed revolving credit facilities, extending the maturity dates to December 2029. The Company continues to have full access to two committed revolving U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities totaling $3.5 billion, which include a $2.2 billion revolving credit facility for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.3 billion revolving credit facility for a Canadian subsidiary (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). The Credit Facilities provide financial flexibility and allow the Company to fund its operations or capital investment program. At December 31, 2024, there were no outstanding amounts under the revolving Credit Facilities.
Depending on the Company’s credit rating and market demand, the Company may issue from its two U.S. commercial paper (“CP”) programs, which include a $1.5 billion program for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.0 billion program for a Canadian subsidiary. As at December 31, 2024, the Company had no balance outstanding under its U.S. CP program. All of Ovintiv’s credit ratings are investment grade as at December 31, 2024 and were reaffirmed following the announcement of the Montney Acquisition.
As at December 31, 2024, the available Credit Facilities, uncommitted demand lines, and cash and cash equivalents provide Ovintiv with total liquidity of approximately $3.6 billion. Ovintiv also had approximately $204 million in undrawn letters of credit issued in the normal course of business as collateral security, primarily related to sales arrangements.
On December 10, 2024, to facilitate its previously announced Montney Acquisition, the Company entered into two term facilities which consist of a $1.5 billion 364-day Asset Sale Term Facility and a $1.0 billion 2-year Term Facility. As at December 31, 2024, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the two term facilities.
On January 22, 2025, the Company closed its previously announced Uinta divestiture and received net proceeds of approximately $2.0 billion which was used to fund the majority of the Montney Acquisition as discussed above. In conjunction with the closing of the Uinta divestiture, the 364-day Asset Sale Term Facility was terminated.
On January 31, 2025, the Company closed its Montney Acquisition. Ovintiv funded the Montney Acquisition through a combination of cash proceeds received from the sale of the Uinta assets, cash on hand, as well as short-term borrowings. Following the closing of the Montney Acquisition, the 2-year Term Facility was terminated.
Additional information on the term facilities, and the Uinta divestiture and Montney Acquisition can be found in Notes 15 and 28, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv has a U.S. shelf registration statement under which the Company may issue from time to time, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, units, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in the U.S. The U.S. shelf registration statement expires in March 2026.
The obligations under the Company’s existing debt securities are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Ovintiv Canada ULC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Additional information on the Company’s Canadian Operations segment and the Bow office lease can be found in the Results of Operations section in this MD&A and in the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv is currently in compliance with all financial covenants under the Credit Facilities. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A, as a proxy for Ovintiv’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities, which requires Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. As at December 31, 2024, the Company’s Debt to Adjusted Capitalization was 23 percent. The definitions used in the covenant under the Credit Facilities adjust capitalization for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP. Additional information on financial covenants can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Sources and Uses of Cash
The following table summarizes the sources and uses of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.
| ($ millions) | Activity Type | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | ||||||||||
| Cash from operating activities | Operating | $ | 3,721 | $ | 4,167 | |||||
| Proceeds from divestitures | Investing | 163 | 772 | |||||||
| Corporate acquisition | Investing | 12 | - | |||||||
| Issuance of long-term debt | Financing | - | 2,278 | |||||||
| 3,896 | 7,217 | |||||||||
| Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | Investing | 2,303 | 2,744 | |||||||
| Acquisitions | Investing | 205 | 277 | |||||||
| Corporate acquisition, net of cash acquired | Investing | - | 3,225 | |||||||
| Net repayment of revolving debt | Financing | 284 | 109 | |||||||
| Purchase of shares of common stock | Financing | 597 | 426 | |||||||
| Dividends on shares of common stock | Financing | 316 | 307 | |||||||
| Other | Financing/Investing | 158 | 122 | |||||||
| 3,863 | 7,210 | |||||||||
| Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss) on Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Held in Foreign Currency | 6 | (9 | ) | |||||||
| Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | $ | 39 | $ | (2 | ) |
Operating Activities
Net cash from operating activities in 2024 was $3,721 million and was primarily a reflection of the impacts from average realized commodity prices, production volumes, changes in non‑cash working capital and realized gains/losses on risk management.
Additional detail on changes in non-cash working capital can be found in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv expects it will continue to meet the payment terms of its suppliers.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow in 2024 was $4,042 million and was primarily impacted by the items affecting cash from operating activities which are discussed below and in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2024 versus 2023
Net cash from operating activities decreased $446 million compared to 2023 primarily due to:
•
Lower realized commodity prices ($797 million), changes in non-cash working capital ($577 million), higher operating expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($80 million) and higher interest expense ($56 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher production volumes ($343 million), realized gains on risk management in revenues compared to losses in 2023 ($314 million), a decrease in current income tax expense ($199 million), lower transportation and processing expense ($127 million), and lower administrative expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($58 million).
Investing Activities
The Company’s primary investing activities are capital expenditures, acquisitions and proceeds from divestitures, which are summarized in Notes 2 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
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2024 and 2023
Net cash used in investing activities in 2024 was $2,457 million primarily due to capital expenditures and acquisitions in the USA Operations. Capital expenditures decreased $441 million compared to 2023 primarily due to decreased completions activity in Montney, Anadarko and Permian, drilling efficiencies in Uinta, and the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by increased capital inventory.
Acquisitions in 2024 were $205 million, which primarily included property purchases with oil and liquids-rich potential in the USA Operations (2023 - $277 million).
Corporate acquisitions in 2024 included the final cash settlements of $12 million related to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023. Corporate acquisitions in 2023 were $3,225 million, which related to the Permian Acquisition. Additional information regarding the Permian Acquisition can be found in Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Proceeds from divestitures in 2024 were $7 million, which included certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets. Proceeds from divestitures also included total net settlement proceeds of approximately $156 million related to the previous dispositions of certain legacy assets. Divestitures in 2023 were $772 million, which primarily included the sale of the Bakken assets in North Dakota and certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash from and/or used in financing activities has been impacted by Ovintiv’s strategic objective to return value to shareholders by repaying existing debt, purchasing shares of common stock and paying dividends.
2024 versus 2023
Net cash used in financing activities in 2024 was $1,231 million compared to net cash from financing activities of $1,359 million in 2023. The change was primarily due to the net issuance of long-term debt in 2023 of $2,278 million, increased net repayment of revolving debt ($175 million) and increased purchases of shares of common stock in 2024 compared to 2023 ($171 million).
The Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion of $600 million, totaled $5,453 million at December 31, 2024. The Company has $600 million of fixed rate long-term debt due in May 2025 and expects to have a total long-term debt balance of less than $5.0 billion by the end of 2025. The Company’s long-term debt at December 31, 2023 totaled $5,737 million, including the current portion of $284 million.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet. In conjunction with the announced transactions as discussed in the Significant Developments and Subsequent Events section of this MD&A, the Company has temporarily paused its share buyback program, starting in October 2024, and expects to resume the buybacks in the second quarter of 2025. Dividends declared and paid by the Company are expected to remain unchanged.
For additional information on long-term debt, refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Dividends
The Company pays quarterly dividends to common shareholders at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Payments | $ | 316 | $ | 307 | |||
| Dividend Payments ($/share) | $ | 1.20 | $ | 1.15 |
On February 26, 2025, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock payable on March 31, 2025 to common shareholders of record as of March 14, 2025.
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Dividends increased $9 million compared to 2023 as a result of Ovintiv increasing its annualized dividend to $1.20 per share of common stock in the second quarter of 2023. The dividend increase reflects the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
On September 26, 2024, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 25.9 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2024 to October 2, 2025. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents 10 percent of Ovintiv’s public float as at September 20, 2024. The Company expects to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework in the second quarter of 2025.
During 2024, the Company purchased for cancellation, approximately 12.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $597 million.
For additional information on the NCIB, refer to Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Material Cash Requirements
Ovintiv’s material cash requirements include various contractual obligations arising from long-term debt, operating leases, risk management liabilities and asset retirement obligations which are recognized in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company expects to fund long-term material cash requirements primarily with cash from operating activities.
Interest payments include scheduled cash payments on finance leases, long-term debt, and other obligations. Additional information can be found in Notes 14 and 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating leases include drilling rigs, compressors, office and buildings, certain land easements and various equipment utilized in the development and production of oil, NGLs and natural gas, as well as The Bow building. As at December 31, 2024, the Company subleased approximately 50 percent of The Bow office space under the lease agreement. Additional information on leases can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risk management liabilities represent Ovintiv’s net liability positions with counterparties. Additional information can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Contractual commitments relating to transportation and processing commitments, and drilling and field services can be found in Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Further to the commitments discussed above, Ovintiv also has various obligations that become payable if certain future events occur relating to take or pay arrangements and payout of minimum costs as described in Notes 20 and 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the Company has obligations to fund the disposal of long-lived assets upon their abandonment as well as its obligations to fund its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans as described in Notes 17 and 23, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.
Other than the items discussed above, there are no other transactions, arrangements, or relationships with unconsolidated entities or persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
Contingencies
For information on contingencies, refer to Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. For a discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ from these estimates. Management considers the following to be its most critical accounting estimates that involve judgment. The following discussion outlines the accounting policies and practices involving the use of estimates that are critical to determining Ovintiv’s financial results. Changes in the estimates and assumptions discussed below could materially affect the amount or timing of the financial results of the Company.
| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream Assets and Reserve EstimatesAs Ovintiv follows full cost accounting for oil, NGLs and natural gas activities, reserves estimates are a key input to the Company’s depletion, gain or loss on divestitures and ceiling test impairment calculations. In addition, these reserves are the basis for the Company’s supplemental oil and gas disclosures. | Due to the inter-relationship of various judgments made to reserve estimates and the volatile nature of commodity prices, it is generally not possible to predict the timing or magnitude of ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv estimates its proved oil and natural gas reserves according to the definition of proved reserves provided by the SEC. The Company’s estimates of proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data as well as production performance data and must demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be economically producible in future periods from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. The estimation of reserves is a subjective process. | Revisions to significant reserve estimates are necessary due to changes in and among other things, development plans, projected future rates of production, the timing of future expenditures, reservoir performance, economic conditions, governmental restrictions as well as changes in the expected recovery associated with infill drilling, all of which are subject to numerous uncertainties and various interpretations. Downward revisions in proved reserve estimates due to changes in reserve estimates may increase depletion expense and may also result in a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Reserves are calculated using an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements (“SEC Average Trailing Prices”). | Decreases in prices may result in reductions in certain proved reserves due to reaching economic limits at an earlier projected date and impact earnings through depletion expense and ceiling test impairments. Moreover, acquisitions of oil and natural gas assets are transacted at market prices, which may be higher than the SEC Average Trailing Prices at the reporting date and could result in the recognition of a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs as it gives consideration to probable and possible reserves and future changes in commodity prices. | Ovintiv believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. | |
| Business CombinationsOvintiv follows the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized at the date of acquisition at their respective estimated fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value amounts assigned to assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Any deficiency of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as a gain in net earnings. | The most significant assumptions relate to the estimated fair values assigned to proved and unproved oil and natural gas properties. The assumptions made in performing these valuations include discount rates, future commodity prices and costs, the timing of development activities, projections of oil and gas reserves, and estimates to abandon and reclaim producing wells. Changes in key assumptions may cause the acquisition accounting to be revised, including the recognition of additional goodwill or discount on acquisition. There is no assurance the underlying assumptions or estimates associated with the valuation will occur as initially expected. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Fair value estimates are determined based on information that existed at the time of the acquisition, utilizing expectations and assumptions that would be available to and made by a market participant. When market-observable prices are not available to value assets and liabilities, the Company may use the cost, income, or market valuation approaches depending on the quality of information available to support management’s assumptions. | Estimated fair values assigned to assets acquired can have a significant effect on results of operations in the future through impairments of goodwill. In addition, differences between the future commodity prices when acquiring assets and the historical 12-month average trailing price to calculate ceiling test impairments of upstream assets may impact net earnings. | |
| Goodwill ImpairmentsGoodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in December, at the reporting unit level which are Ovintiv’s country cost centers. To assess impairment, the carrying amount of each reporting unit is determined and compared to the fair value of each respective reporting unit. Any excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, over its fair value is recognized as an impairment and charged to net earnings. The impairment charge measured is limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Subsequent measurement of goodwill is at cost less any accumulated impairments. | The most significant assumptions used to determine a reporting unit’s fair value include estimations of oil and natural gas reserves, including both proved reserves and risk-adjusted unproved reserves, estimates of market prices considering forward commodity price curves as of the measurement date, market discount rates and estimates of operating, administrative, and capital costs adjusted for inflation. In addition, management may support fair value estimates determined with comparable companies that are actively traded in the public market, recent comparable asset transactions, and transaction premiums. This would require management to make certain judgments about the selection of comparable companies utilized. | |
| Because quoted market prices for the Company’s reporting units are not available, management applies judgment in determining the estimated fair value of reporting units for purposes of performing goodwill impairment tests. Ovintiv may use a combination of the income and the market valuation approaches. | Downward revisions of estimated reserves quantities, increases in future cost estimates, sustained decreases in oil or natural gas prices, or divestiture of a significant component of the reporting unit could reduce expected future cash flows and fair value estimates of the reporting units and possibly result in an impairment of goodwill in future periods. | |
| The Company has assessed its goodwill for impairment at December 31, 2024 and no impairment was recognized. The reporting units’ fair values were substantially in excess of the carrying values and as a result were not at risk of failing the impairment test as at December 31, 2024. | ||
| Asset Retirement ObligationAsset retirement obligations are those legal obligations where the Company will be required to retire tangible long-lived assets such as producing well sites, processing plants, and restoring land at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. The fair value of estimated asset retirement obligations is recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheet when incurred and a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The asset retirement cost, equal to the initially estimated fair value of the asset retirement obligation, is capitalized as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the estimated obligation are recognized as a change in the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost. Actual expenditures incurred are charged against the accumulated asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. | Asset removal technologies and costs are constantly changing, as are regulatory, political, environmental, safety, and public relations considerations. The asset retirement obligation is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows of the settlement. The discounted cash flows are based on estimates of such factors as reserves lives, retirement costs, timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and inflation rates. Changes in these estimates impact net earnings through accretion of the asset retirement obligation in addition to depletion of the asset retirement cost included in property, plant and equipment. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Derivative Financial InstrumentsOvintiv uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks relating to commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company’s policy is not to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Realized gains or losses from financial derivatives are recognized in net earnings as the contracts are settled. Unrealized gains and losses are recognized in net earnings at the end of each respective reporting period based on the changes in fair value of the contracts.Derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. Fair value estimates are determined using quoted prices in active markets, inferred based on market prices of similar assets and liabilities or valued using internally developed estimates. The Company may use various valuation techniques including the discounted cash flow or option valuation models. | Ovintiv’s derivative financial instruments primarily relate to commodities including oil, NGLs and natural gas. The most significant assumptions used in determining the fair value to the Company’s commodity derivatives financial instruments include estimates of future commodity prices, implied volatilities of commodity prices, discount rates and estimates of counterparty credit risk. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to the period of the contract and market volatility as well as regional price differentials. These inputs may also be observable and corroborated by market data or unobservable and sourced from limited market activity, internally generated estimates or corroborated by third parties. Changes in these estimates and assumptions can impact net earnings, revenues and expenses. | |
| As Ovintiv has chosen not to elect hedge accounting treatment for the Company’s derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments can have a significant impact on Ovintiv’s results of operations. Generally, changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments do not impact the Company’s liquidity or capital resources. Settlements of derivative financial instruments do have an impact on the Company’s liquidity and results of operation. | ||
| Income TaxesOvintiv follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of any temporary difference between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability, using the enacted income tax rates and laws expected to apply when the assets are realized and liabilities are settled. Current income taxes are measured at the amount expected to be recoverable from or payable to the taxing authorities based on the income tax rates and laws enacted at the end of the reporting period. The effect of a change in the enacted tax rates or laws is recognized in net earnings in the period of enactment. | Tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and potential Treasury Department guidance, in the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate are subject to change and interpretation. As such, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty and the interpretations can impact net earnings through the income tax expense arising from the changes in deferred income tax assets or liabilities. | |
| Deferred income tax assets are assessed routinely for realizability. If it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets. | Ovintiv considers available positive and negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, including historic and expected future taxable earnings, available tax planning strategies and carry forward periods. Numerous judgments and assumptions are inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions, particularly related to oil and natural gas prices. As a result, the assumptions used in determining expected future taxable earnings are consistent with those used in the goodwill impairment assessment. | |
| Ovintiv recognizes the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. A recognized tax position is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. Liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to be settled within the next 12 months are included in other liabilities and provisions. | The Company routinely assesses potential uncertain tax positions and, if required, establishes accruals for such amounts. The accruals are adjusted based on changes in facts and circumstances. Material changes to Ovintiv’s income tax accruals may occur in the future based on the progress of ongoing audits, changes in legislation or resolution of pending matters. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| The Company is required to assess whether the unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are considered to be permanently reinvested. Changes in repatriation plans are evaluated based on the specific facts and circumstances to determine how those changes affect the recognition and measurement of income tax liabilities and whether those changes in plans affect Ovintiv’s ongoing assertions related to the indefinite reinvestment of basis differences. If the indefinite reinvestment assertion can no longer be made, a deferred tax liability is generally required for a book-over-tax outside basis difference attributable to the foreign subsidiaries. | Ovintiv has assessed that its unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are permanently reinvested. As at December 31, 2024, the Company has a taxable temporary difference of approximately $137 million in respect of unremitted earnings that continue to be permanently reinvested for which a deferred income tax liability of $7 million has not been recognized and becomes subject to taxation upon the remittance of dividends. The deferred tax liability considers U.S. federal, state and foreign withholding tax implications. | |
| Contingent LiabilitiesOvintiv is subject to various legal proceedings, environmental remediation, commercial and regulatory claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable, except for contingencies acquired in a business combination which are recorded at fair value at the time of the acquisition. If a loss is probable but the Company cannot estimate a specific amount for that loss, the best estimate within the range is accrued and if no amount is better within the range, the minimum amount is accrued. | The establishment and evaluation of a contingent loss is based on advice from legal counsel, advisors or consultants and management’s judgment. Actual costs can vary from such estimates for various reasons including: i) differing interpretation of the law, opinions on responsibility and assessments on the amount of damages; ii) changes in status of litigation or claims and information available; iii) differing interpretation of regulations by regulators or the courts; iv) changes in laws and regulations; and v) additional or developing information relating to extent and nature of environmental remediation and technology improvements. The Company monitors known and potential legal, environmental and other claims or contingencies based on available information. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently foreseeable could result in the actual liabilities recorded exceeding the estimated amounts accrued. |
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Non-GAAP Measures
Certain measures in this document do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by U.S. GAAP and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. These measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry and by Ovintiv to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Non-GAAP measures include: Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA. Management’s use of these measures is discussed further below.
Cash from Operating Activities and Non-GAAP Cash Flow
Non-GAAP Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as cash from (used in) operating activities excluding net change in other assets and liabilities, and net change in non-cash working capital.
Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operating and financial performance across periods and against other companies in the industry, and is an indication of the Company’s ability to generate cash to finance capital investment programs, to service debt and to meet other financial obligations. This measure is used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash From (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 3,721 | $ | 4,167 | ||||
| (Add back) deduct: | ||||||||
| Net change in other assets and liabilities | (74 | ) | (62 | ) | ||||
| Net change in non-cash working capital | (247 | ) | 330 | |||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow | $ | 4,042 | $ | 3,899 |
Debt to Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted Capitalization
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization is a non-GAAP measure which adjusts capitalization for historical ceiling test impairments that were recorded as at December 31, 2011. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization as a proxy for the Company’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities which require Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. Adjusted Capitalization includes debt, total shareholders’ equity and an equity adjustment for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded as at December 31, 2011 in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,453 | $ | 5,737 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 10,331 | 10,370 | |||||
| Capitalization | $ | 15,784 | $ | 16,107 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization | 35% | 36% | |||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,453 | $ | 5,737 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 10,331 | 10,370 | |||||
| Equity Adjustment for Impairments at December 31, 2011 | 7,746 | 7,746 | |||||
| Adjusted Capitalization | $ | 23,530 | $ | 23,853 | |||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization | 23% | 24% |
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Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. EBITDA is defined as trailing 12‑month net earnings (loss) before income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and interest. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA adjusted for impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, unrealized gains/losses on risk management, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on divestitures and other gains/losses.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of financial leverage and the Company’s ability to service its debt and other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain financial performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2024 | December 31, 2023 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,453 | $ | 5,737 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 1,125 | 2,085 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 2,290 | 1,825 | ||||||
| Interest | 412 | 355 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | 226 | 425 | ||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 4,053 | $ | 4,690 | ||||
| Debt to EBITDA (times) | 1.3 | 1.2 | ||||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,453 | $ | 5,737 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 1,125 | 2,085 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 2,290 | 1,825 | ||||||
| Impairments | 450 | - | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 19 | 19 | ||||||
| Interest | 412 | 355 | ||||||
| Unrealized (gains) losses on risk management | 136 | (194 | ) | |||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | (19 | ) | 19 | |||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (165 | ) | (20 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | 226 | 425 | ||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,474 | $ | 4,514 | ||||
| Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (times) | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000950170-24-021368.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective, which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s consolidated 2023 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 results. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2023 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Discussion and analysis of 2021 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 results that are not included in this Form 10-K, can be found in Item 7 of the 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This MD&A includes the following sections:
•
Executive Overview
•
Results of Operations
•
Liquidity and Capital Resources
•
Accounting Policies and Estimates
•
Non-GAAP Measures
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv aims to be a leading North American energy producer and is focused on developing its high-quality multi-basin portfolio of oil and natural gas producing plays as part of its strategy outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv is committed to delivering quality returns from its capital investment, generating significant cash flows and providing durable cash returns to its shareholders through the commodity price cycle. The Company aims to achieve its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, and commercial acumen and risk management. In addition, the Company is dedicated to driving progress in areas of environmental, social, and governance, aligning with its commitment to corporate responsibility.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet.
Ovintiv continually monitors and evaluates changing market conditions to maximize cash flows, mitigate risks and renew its premium well inventory. The Company’s assets, located in some of the best plays in North America, form a multi-basin, multi-product portfolio which enables flexible and efficient investment of capital that supports the Company’s strategy.
Ovintiv seeks to deliver results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics, targets and relative progress achieved can be found in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A and on the Company’s sustainability website.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and shareholder value.
For additional information on Ovintiv’s strategy, its reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information on the segmented results, refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non-GAAP Cash Flow and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Highlights
During 2023, the Company focused on executing its capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, minimizing the impact of inflation and delivering cash from operating activities. Upstream product revenues in 2023 were impacted by lower average realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities compared to 2022, partially offset by higher production volumes. Decreases in average realized natural gas and liquids prices of 53 percent and 21 percent, respectively, were primarily due to lower benchmark prices. In 2023, total production volumes increased by 11 percent compared to 2022 primarily due to the efficient integration of the assets from the Permian Acquisition, as defined below, during the latter half of the year.
Significant Developments
•
On November 22, 2023 and September 13, 2023, the Company purchased approximately 1.2 million shares and one million shares, respectively, of Ovintiv common stock from the secondary public offerings by NMB Stock Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (“NMB Stock Trust”). The total consideration paid was approximately $53 million, averaging $44.00 per share, and $45 million, averaging $45.45 per share, respectively. The shares were canceled during the third and fourth quarters of 2023.
•
On September 26, 2023, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 26.7 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2023 to October 2, 2024. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents 10 percent of Ovintiv’s public float as at September 21, 2023. The Company expects to continue to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework.
•
On June 12, 2023, the Company closed the purchase agreement to acquire substantially all leasehold interest and related assets from Black Swan Oil & Gas, LLC, PetroLegacy II Holdings, LLC, Piedra Energy III Holdings, LLC and Piedra Energy IV Holdings, LLC, which were portfolio companies of funds managed by EnCap Investments L.P. (“Permian Acquisition”). The Company issued approximately 31.8 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and paid approximately $3.2 billion in cash upon closing, for total consideration of approximately $4.4 billion, which included preliminary customary closing adjustments of approximately $85 million. The acquisition added approximately 65,000 net acres in the Midland Basin and approximately 1,050 net well locations to Ovintiv’s Permian inventory. The transaction had an effective date of January 1, 2023.
•
On June 12, 2023, the Company closed the agreement to sell the entirety of its Bakken assets, comprising approximately 46,000 net acres in the Williston Basin of North Dakota, to Grayson Mill Bakken, LLC, a portfolio company managed by EnCap Investments L.P., for proceeds of approximately $734 million after customary closing adjustments of approximately $91 million. The transaction had an effective date of January 1, 2023.
•
On June 12, 2023, the Company announced its inclusion on the S&P 400 index effective June 20, 2023.
•
On May 31, 2023, the Company issued $2.3 billion in senior unsecured notes with varying maturity dates and interest rates. The net proceeds from the bond offering were used to finance a portion of the Permian Acquisition.
•
On April 3, 2023, the Company announced an increase of 20 percent to its quarterly per share dividend payment representing an annualized dividend of $1.20 per share of common stock as part of Ovintiv’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
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Financial Results
•
Reported net earnings of $2,085 million, including income tax expense of $425 million and net gains on risk management in revenues of $151 million, before tax.
•
Generated cash from operating activities of $4,167 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $3,899 million. Cash from operating activities exceeded capital expenditures by $1,423 million.
•
Purchased for cancellation, approximately 10 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $426 million.
•
Paid dividends of $1.15 per share of common stock totaling $307 million.
•
Had approximately $3.5 billion in total liquidity as at December 31, 2023, which included available credit facilities of $3,486 million, available uncommitted demand lines of $234 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $3 million, net of outstanding commercial paper of $270 million.
•
Reported Debt to EBITDA of 1.2 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 1.3 times.
Capital Investment
•
Reported total capital spending of $2,744 million, which was below the full year 2023 investment plan range of approximately $2,745 million to $2,785 million.
•
Focused on highly efficient capital activity to minimize the impact of inflation and to benefit from short-cycle high margin and/or low-cost projects which provide flexibility to respond to fluctuations in commodity prices, as discussed in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A.
Production
•
Produced average liquids volumes of 292.0 Mbbls/d, which accounted for 52 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 201.8 Mbbls/d, or 69 percent of total liquids production volumes, exceeded full year 2023 guidance of 196.0 Mbbls/d to 198.0 Mbbls/d.
•
Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,642 MMcf/d, which accounted for 48 percent of total production volumes. Average natural gas volumes exceeded full year 2023 guidance of 1,615 MMcf/d to 1,630 MMcf/d.
•
Produced average total volumes of 565.6 MBOE/d, which exceeded full year 2023 guidance of 550.0 MBOE/d to 560.0 MBOE/d.
Operating Expenses
•
Incurred total upstream transportation and processing expenses of $1,603 million or $7.76 per BOE, a decrease of $25 million compared to 2022, primarily due to lower variable contract rates in Permian, partially offset by higher volumes in Permian.
•
Incurred total upstream operating expenses of $831 million or $4.03 per BOE, an increase of $58 million compared to 2022, primarily due to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023, increased activity resulting from more wells on production and sustained inflationary pressures, partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023, the sale of portions of Uinta assets in the third quarter of 2022 and higher recoveries from updated operating contract terms.
•
Incurred total production, mineral and other taxes of $342 million, which represents approximately 4.4 percent of upstream revenues. Total production, mineral and other taxes decreased by $73 million compared to 2022, primarily due to lower production taxes in the USA Operations as a result of lower commodity prices.
The Company’s upstream operations refers to the summation of the USA and Canadian operating segments. Additional information on the items above and other expenses can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
55
2024 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.
Oil prices for 2024 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between the pace of global economic growth and demand for oil, continued OPEC+ production restraint and continued supply uncertainties resulting from geopolitical events. Recessionary concerns continue to have an impact on global demand as central banks evaluate and recalibrate their strategies in response to the prevailing economic environment. Supply and the accumulation of global oil inventories are expected to be impacted by changes in OPEC+ production levels, consumer demand behavior and geopolitical volatility.
Natural Gas Markets
Natural gas prices are primarily impacted by structural changes in supply and demand as well as deviations from seasonally normal weather.
Natural gas prices for 2024 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between natural gas production and associated natural gas from oil production, changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of U.S. liquefied natural gas, impacts from seasonal weather, as well as supply chain constraints or other disruptions resulting from geopolitical events.
Company Outlook
The Company will continue to exercise discretion and discipline, and intends to optimize capital allocation throughout 2024 as the commodity price environment evolves. Ovintiv pursues innovative ways to maximize cash flows, and to reduce upstream operating and administrative expenses.
Markets for oil and natural gas are exposed to different price risks and are inherently volatile. To mitigate price volatility and provide more certainty around cash flows, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments. With the closing of the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 and the associated increase in production volumes, the Company executed additional oil hedge positions. As at December 31, 2023, the Company has hedged approximately 70.3 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 775 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production for 2024. In addition, Ovintiv proactively utilizes transportation contracts to diversify the Company’s sales markets, thereby reducing significant exposure to any given market and regional pricing.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s hedging program can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Capital Investment
The Company plans to spend approximately $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion on its full year 2024 capital investment program, focusing on maximizing returns from high-margin oil and condensate. In 2024, the Company expects to generate cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
Ovintiv continually strives to improve well performance and lower costs through innovative techniques. Ovintiv's large-scale cube development model utilizes multi-well pads and advanced completion designs to maximize returns and resource recovery from its reservoirs. During 2023, the Company further enhanced its multi-frac technology by fracing three wells (“Trimulfrac”) at the same time compared to its current standard of fracing two wells (“Simulfrac”) at the same time. Ovintiv’s disciplined capital program and continuous innovation create flexibility to allocate capital in changing commodity markets to maximize cash flows while preserving the long-term value of the Company’s multi-basin portfolio.
56
Production
In 2024, the Company expects full year average total production volumes of approximately 545 MBOE/d to 575 MBOE/d, including oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 202 Mbbls/d to 208 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 85 Mbbls/d to 90 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 1,550 MMcf/d to 1,650 MMcf/d.
Operating Expenses
Ovintiv promotes a collaborative culture that values knowledge exchange, open communication, continuous improvement and learning. This culture stimulates innovation and fosters the creation of best practices resulting in efficiency improvements and enhanced operational performance for the Company.
In 2024, the Company expects to incur full year upstream transportation and processing costs of approximately $7.50 per BOE to $8.00 per BOE, upstream operating expenses of approximately $4.25 per BOE to $4.75 per BOE, and total production, mineral and other taxes of approximately four to five percent of upstream revenues. The Company’s upstream operations refers to the summation of the USA and Canadian operating segments.
Long-Term Debt
During the second quarter of 2023, the Company closed the Permian Acquisition and funded the cash portion of the transaction with net proceeds of $2,278 million from the issuance of senior unsecured notes, cash proceeds received from the sale of the Company’s Bakken assets, cash on hand and proceeds from short-term borrowings.
As at December 31, 2023, the Company had $270 million of commercial paper outstanding under its U.S. commercial paper (“U.S. CP”) programs and $14 million outstanding under its revolving credit facilities.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s long-term debt and liquidity position can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A, respectively.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s 2024 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ovintiv.com.
Environmental, Social and Governance
Ovintiv recognizes climate change as a global concern and the importance of reducing its environmental footprint as part of the solution. The Company voluntarily participates in emission reduction programs and has adopted a range of strategies to help reduce emissions from its operations. These strategies include incorporating new and proven technologies, optimizing processes in its operations and working closely with third-party providers to develop best practices. The Company continues to look for innovative techniques and efficiencies in support of its commitment to emission reductions.
In May 2023, Ovintiv published its sustainability report, which highlights the Company’s progress in emissions intensity reductions including an emissions reduction roadmap aimed to meet the Company’s Scope 1&2 GHG emissions target by 2030. As at the end of 2023, the Company has achieved a greater than 40 percent reduction in the Scope 1&2 GHG emissions intensity and is on track to meet its emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent by 2030. The GHG emissions reduction target is tied to the annual compensation program for all employees.
In June 2023, the Company closed the Permian Acquisition, increasing both oil production volumes and net premium inventory in the Permian. Ovintiv is undergoing an integration period to align the emissions profile of the acquired inventory with the World Bank Zero Routine Flaring initiative. Ovintiv remains committed to its emissions reduction targets.
The Company continues to find innovative approaches to reduce its emissions profile and add value to its business. During 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with a midstream company which will connect Ovintiv’s natural gas-powered facilities in Montney to British Columbia’s hydro and wind generated electrical grid. This arrangement will reduce the Company’s GHG emissions while adding processing capacity.
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Ovintiv is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”). The Company’s social commitment framework, which is rooted in the Company’s foundational values of integrity, safety, sustainability, trust and respect, fosters a culture of inclusion that respects stakeholders and strengthens communities.
Ovintiv remains committed to protecting the health and safety of its workforce. Safety is a foundational value at Ovintiv and plays a critical role in the Company’s belief that a safe workplace is a strong indicator of a well-managed business. This safety-oriented mindset enables the Company to quickly respond to emergencies and minimize any impacts to employees and business continuity. Safety performance goals are incorporated into the Company’s annual compensation program. Additional information on DEI and employee safety can be found in the Human Capital section of Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further information on Ovintiv’s sustainable business practices are outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and on the Company’s sustainability website at https://sustainability.ovintiv.com.
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Results of Operations
Selected Financial Information
| ($ millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product and Service Revenues | ||||||||
| Upstream product revenues | $ | 7,778 | $ | 10,151 | ||||
| Market optimization | 2,876 | 4,107 | ||||||
| Service revenues (1) | 7 | 5 | ||||||
| Total Product and Service Revenues | 10,661 | 14,263 | ||||||
| Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | 151 | (1,867 | ) | |||||
| Sublease Revenues | 71 | 68 | ||||||
| Total Revenues | 10,883 | 12,464 | ||||||
| Total Operating Expenses (2) | 8,019 | 8,611 | ||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | 2,864 | 3,853 | ||||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | 354 | 293 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) Before Income Tax | 2,510 | 3,560 | ||||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | 425 | (77 | ) | |||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 2,085 | $ | 3,637 |
(1)
Service revenues include amounts related to the USA and Canadian Operations.
(2)
Total Operating Expenses include non-cash items such as DD&A, accretion of asset retirement obligations and long-term incentive costs.
Revenues
Ovintiv’s revenues are substantially derived from sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas production. Increases or decreases in Ovintiv’s revenue, profitability and future production are highly dependent on the commodity prices the Company receives. Prices are market driven and fluctuate due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as supply and demand, seasonality and geopolitical and economic factors. The Company’s realized prices generally reflect WTI, NYMEX, Edmonton Condensate and AECO benchmark prices, as well as other downstream benchmarks, including Houston and Dawn. The Company proactively mitigates price risk and optimizes margins by entering into firm transportation contracts to diversify market access to different sales points. Realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, may differ from the benchmarks for many reasons, including quality, location, or production being sold at different market hubs.
Benchmark prices relevant to the Company are shown in the table below.
Benchmark Prices
| (average for the period) | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil & NGLs | |||||||
| WTI ($/bbl) | $ | 77.62 | $ | 94.23 | |||
| Houston ($/bbl) | 78.95 | 95.89 | |||||
| Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | 103.76 | 122.02 | |||||
| Natural Gas | |||||||
| NYMEX ($/MMBtu) | $ | 2.74 | $ | 6.64 | |||
| AECO (C$/Mcf) | 2.93 | 5.56 | |||||
| Dawn (C$/MMBtu) | 3.15 | 7.89 |
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Production Volumes and Realized Prices
| Production Volumes (1) | Realized Prices (2) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 158.8 | 131.5 | $ | 76.46 | $ | 94.25 | ||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 0.1 | 0.1 | 81.59 | 87.28 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 158.9 | 131.6 | 76.46 | 94.25 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 10.9 | 10.4 | 58.53 | 73.22 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 32.0 | 33.6 | 74.52 | 93.22 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 42.9 | 44.0 | 70.46 | 88.52 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 74.6 | 71.7 | 16.27 | 29.35 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 15.6 | 13.8 | 26.78 | 42.39 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 90.2 | 85.5 | 18.09 | 31.45 | ||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 244.3 | 213.6 | 57.29 | 71.44 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 47.7 | 47.5 | 58.93 | 78.46 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 292.0 | 261.1 | 57.55 | 72.72 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d, $/Mcf) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 517 | 492 | 2.43 | 6.18 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,125 | 1,002 | 2.89 | 5.75 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,642 | 1,494 | 2.74 | 5.89 | ||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d, $/BOE) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 330.4 | 295.5 | 46.15 | 61.91 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 235.2 | 214.5 | 25.76 | 44.26 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 565.6 | 510.0 | 37.67 | 54.49 | ||||||||||||
| Production Mix (%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Plant Condensate | 36 | 34 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other | 16 | 17 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 52 | 51 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 48 | 49 | ||||||||||||||
| Production Change – Year Over Year (%) (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 12 | (5 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 10 | (4 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Total Production | 11 | (4 | ) |
(1)
Average daily.
(2)
Average per-unit prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities.
(3)
Includes production impacts of acquisitions and divestitures. See Notes 8 and 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Upstream Product Revenues
| ($ millions) | Oil | NGLs - Plant Condensate | NGLs - Other | Natural Gas | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Upstream Product Revenues (1) | $ | 4,526 | $ | 1,422 | $ | 981 | $ | 3,213 | $ | 10,142 | ||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) due to: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales prices | (1,031 | ) | (278 | ) | (445 | ) | (1,884 | ) | (3,638 | ) | ||||||||||
| Production volumes | 939 | (40 | ) | 59 | 315 | 1,273 | ||||||||||||||
| 2023 Upstream Product Revenues (1) | $ | 4,434 | $ | 1,104 | $ | 595 | $ | 1,644 | $ | 7,777 |
(1)
Revenues for 2023 exclude certain other revenue and royalty adjustments with no associated production volumes of $1 million (2022 - $9 million).
Oil Revenues
2023 versus 2022
Oil revenues were lower by $92 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
A decrease of $17.79 per bbl, or 19 percent, in the average realized oil prices which decreased revenues by $1,031 million. The decrease reflected lower WTI and Houston benchmark prices which were both down 18 percent and the weakening of regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price in the USA Operations; and
•
Higher average oil production volumes of 27.3 Mbbls/d increased revenues by $939 million. Higher volumes were primarily due to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 (26.5 Mbbls/d) and successful drilling in Permian and Uinta (12.0 Mbbls/d), partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 (6.5 Mbbls/d) and natural declines in Anadarko (5.5 Mbbls/d).
NGL Revenues
2023 versus 2022
NGL revenues were lower by $704 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
A decrease of $13.36 per bbl, or 42 percent, in the average realized other NGL prices which decreased revenues by $445 million. The decrease reflected lower other NGL benchmark prices and lower regional pricing;
•
A decrease of $18.06 per bbl, or 20 percent, in the average realized plant condensate prices which decreased revenues by $278 million. The decrease reflected lower WTI and Edmonton Condensate benchmark prices which were down 18 percent and 15 percent, respectively, and lower regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price; and
•
Higher average other NGL production volumes of 4.7 Mbbls/d increased revenues by $59 million. Higher volumes were primarily due to successful drilling in Permian and Montney (5.1 Mbbls/d), the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 (2.7 Mbbls/d), and lower effective royalty rates resulting from lower commodity prices in Montney (1.5 Mbbls/d), partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 (3.4 Mbbls/d) and natural declines in Anadarko (1.4 Mbbls/d).
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Natural Gas Revenues
2023 versus 2022
Natural gas revenues were lower by $1,569 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
A decrease of $3.15 per Mcf, or 53 percent, in the average realized natural gas prices which decreased revenues by $1,884 million. The decrease reflected lower Dawn, NYMEX and AECO benchmark prices which were down 60 percent, 59 percent and 47 percent, respectively; and
•
Higher average natural gas production volumes of 148 MMcf/d increased revenues by $315 million. Higher volumes were primarily due to lower effective royalty rates resulting from lower commodity prices in Montney (106 MMcf/d) and successful drilling in Montney and Permian (60 MMcf/d).
Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net
As a means of managing commodity price volatility, Ovintiv enters into commodity derivative financial instruments on a portion of its expected oil, NGLs and natural gas production volumes. Additional information on the Company’s commodity price positions as at December 31, 2023 can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table provides the effects of the Company’s risk management activities on revenues.
| $ millions | Per-Unit | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commodity Price (1) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oil ($/bbl) | $ | (24 | ) | $ | (594 | ) | $ | (0.40 | ) | $ | (12.37 | ) | ||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate ($/bbl) | 1 | (125 | ) | $ | 0.05 | $ | (7.78 | ) | ||||||||||
| NGLs - Other ($/bbl) | - | - | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas ($/Mcf) | (21 | ) | (1,895 | ) | $ | (0.03 | ) | $ | (3.47 | ) | ||||||||
| Other (2) | 1 | 6 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Total ($/BOE) | (43 | ) | (2,608 | ) | $ | (0.21 | ) | $ | (14.04 | ) | ||||||||
| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | 194 | 741 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | $ | 151 | $ | (1,867 | ) |
(1)
Primarily includes realized gains and losses related to the USA and Canadian Operations.
(2)
Other primarily includes realized gains or losses from other derivative contracts with no associated production volumes.
Ovintiv recognizes fair value changes from its risk management activities each reporting period. The changes in fair value result from new positions and settlements that occur during each period, as well as the relationship between contract prices and the associated forward curves. Realized gains or losses on risk management activities related to commodity price mitigation are included in the USA Operations, Canadian Operations and Market Optimization revenues as the contracts are cash settled. Unrealized gains or losses on fair value changes of unsettled contracts are included in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on fair value changes can be found in Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Market Optimization Revenues
Market Optimization product revenues relate to activities that provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. Ovintiv also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 2,876 | $ | 4,107 |
2023 versus 2022
Market Optimization product revenues decreased $1,231 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($885 million), lower sales of third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($202 million) and lower sales of third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($144 million).
Sublease Revenues
Sublease revenues primarily include amounts related to the sublease of office space in The Bow office building recorded in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on office sublease income can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating Expenses
Production, Mineral and Other Taxes
Production, mineral and other taxes include production and property taxes. Production taxes are generally assessed as a percentage of oil, NGLs and natural gas production revenues. Property taxes are generally assessed based on the value of the underlying assets.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 327 | $ | 401 | $ | 2.71 | $ | 3.72 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 15 | 14 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.18 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 342 | $ | 415 | $ | 1.66 | $ | 2.23 |
2023 versus 2022
Production, mineral and other taxes decreased $73 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower production tax in USA Operations due to lower commodity prices ($93 million) and the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($31 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher volumes in Permian primarily due to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 ($48 million).
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Transportation and Processing
Transportation and processing expense includes transportation costs incurred to move product from production points to sales points including gathering, compression, pipeline tariffs, trucking and storage costs. Ovintiv also incurs costs related to processing provided by third parties or through ownership interests in processing facilities.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 547 | $ | 626 | $ | 4.54 | $ | 5.80 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,056 | 1,002 | $ | 12.29 | $ | 12.80 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Transportation and Processing | 1,603 | 1,628 | $ | 7.76 | $ | 8.75 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 163 | 158 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,766 | $ | 1,786 |
2023 versus 2022
Transportation and processing expense decreased $20 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower variable contract rates in Permian ($139 million), a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($34 million) and the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($24 million);
partially offset by:
•
Higher volumes in Permian ($91 million), higher costs relating to the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets ($56 million) and higher third-party plant operating costs in Montney ($28 million).
Operating
Operating expense includes costs paid by the Company, net of amounts capitalized, on oil and natural gas properties in which Ovintiv has a working interest. These costs primarily include labor, service contract fees, chemicals, fuel, water hauling, electricity and workovers.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 743 | $ | 646 | $ | 6.15 | $ | 5.99 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 88 | 127 | $ | 1.04 | $ | 1.62 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Operating Expense | 831 | 773 | $ | 4.03 | $ | 4.15 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 28 | 29 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 859 | $ | 802 |
2023 versus 2022
Operating expense increased $57 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
The Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 ($128 million), and increased activity due to more wells on production and sustained inflationary pressures ($56 million);
partially offset by:
•
The sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023 ($50 million), the sale of portions of Uinta assets in the third quarter of 2022 ($36 million), updates to operating contract terms, including a recovery of prior years’ costs ($31 million), and lower long-term incentive costs resulting from a decrease in the Company’s share price compared to an increase in 2022 ($13 million).
Additional information on the Company’s long-term incentive costs can be found in Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Purchased Product
Purchased product expense includes purchases of oil, NGLs and natural gas from third parties that are used to provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. Ovintiv also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 2,815 | $ | 4,055 |
2023 versus 2022
Purchased product expense decreased $1,240 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($898 million), lower third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($202 million) and lower third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($140 million).
Depreciation, Depletion & Amortization
Proved properties within each country cost center are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves as discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Depletion rates are impacted by impairments, acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange rates, as well as fluctuations in 12-month average trailing prices which affect proved reserves volumes. Corporate assets are carried at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the assets.
Additional information can be found under Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of this MD&A.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 1,519 | $ | 861 | $ | 12.60 | $ | 7.98 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 286 | 235 | $ | 3.33 | $ | 3.01 | |||||||||||
| Upstream DD&A | 1,805 | 1,096 | $ | 8.74 | $ | 5.89 | |||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 20 | 17 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,825 | $ | 1,113 |
2023 versus 2022
DD&A increased $712 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Higher depletion rates in the USA and Canadian Operations ($556 million and $37 million, respectively) and higher production volumes in the USA and Canadian Operations ($102 million and $22 million, respectively);
partially offset by:
•
Higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($8 million).
The depletion rate in the USA Operations increased $4.62 per BOE compared to 2022 primarily due to a higher depletable base associated with the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023.
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Administrative
Administrative expense represents costs associated with corporate functions provided by Ovintiv staff. These expenses primarily include salaries and benefits, operating leases, office, information technology, transaction and long-term incentive costs.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative, excluding Long-Term Incentive Costs, | |||||||||||||||||
| Transaction and Legal Costs, and Current | |||||||||||||||||
| Expected Credit Losses (1) | $ | 278 | $ | 258 | $ | 1.35 | $ | 1.39 | |||||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 22 | 164 | 0.11 | 0.88 | |||||||||||||
| Transaction and legal costs | 93 | 1 | 0.45 | - | |||||||||||||
| Current expected credit losses | - | (1 | ) | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Total Administrative | $ | 393 | $ | 422 | $ | 1.91 | $ | 2.27 |
(1)
Includes costs related to The Bow office lease of $114 million (2022 - $116 million), half of which is recovered from sublease revenues.
2023 versus 2022
Administrative expense decreased $29 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower long-term incentive costs resulting from a decrease in the Company’s share price in 2023 compared to an increase in 2022 ($142 million);
partially offset by:
•
Transaction costs mainly related to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023 ($83 million) and increases in legal, information technology and community investment costs ($16 million).
Additional information on the Company’s long-term incentive costs can be found in Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other (Income) Expenses
| ($ millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest | $ | 355 | $ | 311 | ||||
| Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net | 19 | 15 | ||||||
| Other (Gains) Losses, Net | (20 | ) | (33 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | $ | 354 | $ | 293 |
Interest
Interest expense primarily includes interest on Ovintiv’s short-term and long-term debt. Additional information on changes in interest can be found in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2023 versus 2022
Interest expense increased $44 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Interest expense related to senior unsecured notes issued in May 2023 ($83 million), the acceleration of the fair value amortization related to the early redemption of the Company’s 2024 senior notes in June 2022 of $30 million and interest expense related to outstanding balances under the Company’s U.S. CP program and revolving credit facilities ($35 million);
partially offset by:
•
A make-whole interest payment of $47 million resulting from the early redemption of the Company’s 2024 senior notes in June 2022, interest savings related to the redemption of certain other senior notes in 2022 ($33 million) and premiums of $22 million related to the Company’s open market repurchases of senior notes in 2022.
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Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net
Foreign exchange gains and losses primarily result from the impact of fluctuations in the Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate. Additional information on changes in foreign exchange gains or losses can be found in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information on foreign exchange rates and the effects of foreign exchange rate changes can be found in Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2023 versus 2022
Net foreign exchange losses increased $4 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Losses on other monetary revaluations compared to gains in 2022 ($23 million), unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of intercompany notes ($14 million) and foreign exchange losses on the settlement of intercompany notes compared to 2022 ($8 million);
partially offset by:
•
Unrealized foreign exchange gains on the translation of U.S. dollar risk management contracts and foreign exchange gains on the settlement of U.S. dollar financing debt issued from Canada compared to losses in 2022 ($34 million and $10 million, respectively).
Other (Gains) Losses, Net
Other (gains) losses, net, primarily includes other non-recurring revenues or expenses and may also include items such as interest income, interest received from tax authorities, government stimulus programs and adjustments related to other assets.
Other gains in 2023 includes interest income of $11 million primarily generated from short-term investments. Other gains in 2022 includes interest income of $25 million primarily associated with the resolution of prior years’ tax items.
Income Tax
| ($ millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | 281 | $ | 10 | ||||
| Deferred Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | 144 | (87 | ) | |||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | 425 | $ | (77 | ) | |||
| Effective Tax Rate | 16.9 | % | (2.2 | %) |
Income Tax Expense (Recovery)
2023 versus 2022
In 2023, Ovintiv recorded an income tax expense of $425 million compared to an income tax recovery of $77 million in 2022 primarily due to changes in valuation allowances and the expected full utilization of Ovintiv’s operating losses in Canada, resulting in current tax in 2023, partially offset by the recognition of U.S. federal and state research and development credits in 2023 of $128 million and $8 million, respectively, associated with eligible drilling and completion costs incurred in prior years.
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not the tax position will be sustained upon audit by the taxing authorities. During 2023, the Company recorded unrecognized U.S. federal and state tax benefits of $148 million and $36 million, respectively, resulting from research and development expenditures related to drilling and completions costs incurred in prior years. If all, or a portion of, the unrecognized tax benefit is sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, the tax benefit will be recognized as a reduction to the Company’s deferred tax liability and will affect the Company’s effective tax rate in the period recognized.
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Effective Tax Rate
The Company’s annual effective income tax rate is primarily impacted by earnings, changes in valuation allowances, income tax related to foreign operations, state taxes, the effect of legislative changes, non-taxable items, and tax differences on transactions.
The Company’s effective tax rate was 16.9 percent for 2023, which is lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to the recognition of research and development credits noted above.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (2.2) percent for 2022, which was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to a lower annual effective income tax rate resulting from a reduction in valuation allowances.
The determination of income and other tax liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries requires interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws and regulations, that are subject to change. The Company’s interpretation of tax laws may differ from the interpretation of the tax authorities. As a result, there are tax matters under review for which the timing of resolution is uncertain. The Company believes that the provision for income taxes is adequate.
In 2023, Canada released its draft Global Minimum Tax Act (“GMTA”), which implements the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Pillar II framework, providing a global minimum tax of 15 percent. The legislation, once enacted, will be effective as of January 1, 2024. The Company continues to evaluate the GMTA but does not anticipate any material impact in 2024.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) was signed into law. The IRA introduced a new 15 percent corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”), effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022 on corporations with average adjusted financial statement income over $1.0 billion for any 3-year period preceding the tax year. Based on available guidance, the Company does not exceed the $1.0 billion threshold to be subject to the CAMT in 2023 but anticipates it will be subject to the CAMT in 2024.
Additional information on income taxes can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
The Company has the flexibility to access cash equivalents and a range of funding alternatives at competitive rates through committed revolving credit facilities as well as debt and equity capital markets. Ovintiv closely monitors the accessibility of cost-effective credit and ensures that sufficient liquidity is in place to fund capital expenditures and dividend payments. In addition, the Company may use cash and cash equivalents, cash from operating activities, or proceeds from asset divestitures to fund its operations and capital allocation framework or to manage its capital structure as discussed below.
The Company’s capital structure consists of total shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including any current portion. The Company’s objectives when managing its capital structure are to maintain financial flexibility to preserve Ovintiv’s access to capital markets and its ability to meet financial obligations and finance internally generated growth, as well as potential acquisitions. Ovintiv has a practice of maintaining capital discipline and strategically managing its capital structure by adjusting capital spending, adjusting dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new shares of common stock, purchasing shares of common stock for cancellation or return to treasury, issuing new debt and repaying or repurchasing existing debt.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $ | 3 | $ | 5 | ||||
| Available Credit Facilities | 3,486 | 3,500 | ||||||
| Available Uncommitted Demand Lines (1) | 234 | 195 | ||||||
| Issuance of U.S. Commercial Paper | (270 | ) | (393 | ) | ||||
| Total Liquidity | $ | 3,453 | $ | 3,307 | ||||
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion (2) | $ | 5,737 | $ | 3,570 | ||||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity (2) | $ | 10,370 | $ | 7,689 | ||||
| Debt to Capitalization (%) (3) | 36 | 32 | ||||||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization (%) (3) | 24 | 19 |
(1)
Includes three uncommitted demand lines totaling $289 million, net of $55 million in related undrawn letters of credit (2022 - $321 million and $126 million, respectively).
(2)
Includes the impact of long-term debt and shares of common stock issued in conjunction with the Permian Acquisition.
(3)
These measures are defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
The Company has full access to two committed revolving U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities totaling $3.5 billion, which include a $2.2 billion revolving credit facility for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.3 billion revolving credit facility for a Canadian subsidiary (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). The Credit Facilities, which mature in July 2026, provide financial flexibility and allow the Company to fund its operations or capital investment program. At December 31, 2023, $14 million was outstanding under the revolving Credit Facilities.
Depending on the Company’s credit rating and market demand, the Company may issue from its two U.S. CP programs, which include a $1.5 billion program for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.0 billion program for a Canadian subsidiary. As at December 31, 2023, the Company had $270 million of commercial paper outstanding under its U.S. CP program maturing at various dates with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 6.17 percent, which is supported by the Company’s Credit Facilities. All of Ovintiv’s credit ratings are investment grade as at December 31, 2023.
The available Credit Facilities, uncommitted demand lines, and cash and cash equivalents, net of outstanding commercial paper provide Ovintiv with total liquidity of approximately $3.5 billion. At December 31, 2023, Ovintiv also had approximately $55 million in undrawn letters of credit issued in the normal course of business primarily as collateral security, related to sales arrangements.
On June 12, 2023, the Company closed the Permian Acquisition and issued approximately 31.8 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and paid approximately $3.2 billion in cash, for total consideration of approximately $4.4 billion, which included preliminary customary closing adjustments. The cash portion of the acquisition was funded through a combination of net proceeds from the issuance of senior unsecured notes, cash proceeds received from the sale of the Company’s Bakken assets, cash on hand and proceeds from short-term borrowings.
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Ovintiv has a U.S. shelf registration statement under which the Company may issue from time to time, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, units, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in the U.S. The U.S. shelf registration statement was renewed in March 2023 and expires in March 2026.
The obligations under the Company’s existing debt securities are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Ovintiv Canada ULC, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. Additional information on the Company’s Canadian Operations segment and the Bow office lease can be found in the Results of Operations section in this MD&A and the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Ovintiv is currently in compliance with all financial covenants under the Credit Facilities. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A, as a proxy for Ovintiv’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities, which requires Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. As at December 31, 2023, the Company’s Debt to Adjusted Capitalization was 24 percent. The definitions used in the covenant under the Credit Facilities adjust capitalization for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP. Additional information on financial covenants can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Company’s debt-based metrics have increased over the prior year primarily due to the increase in long-term debt resulting from the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023.
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Sources and Uses of Cash
During 2023, Ovintiv primarily generated cash through operating activities and received net proceeds from the Company’s debt issuance to fund a portion of the Permian Acquisition. The following table summarizes the sources and uses of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.
| ($ millions) | Activity Type | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | ||||||||||
| Cash from operating activities | Operating | $ | 4,167 | $ | 3,866 | |||||
| Proceeds from divestitures | Investing | 772 | 228 | |||||||
| Net issuance of revolving debt | Financing | - | 393 | |||||||
| Issuance of long-term debt | Financing | 2,278 | - | |||||||
| Other | Investing | - | 103 | |||||||
| 7,217 | 4,590 | |||||||||
| Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | Investing | 2,744 | 1,831 | |||||||
| Acquisitions | Investing | 277 | 286 | |||||||
| Corporate acquisition, net of cash acquired | Investing | 3,225 | - | |||||||
| Net repayment of revolving debt | Financing | 109 | - | |||||||
| Repayment of long-term debt (1) | Financing | - | 1,634 | |||||||
| Purchase of shares of common stock | Financing | 426 | 719 | |||||||
| Dividends on shares of common stock | Financing | 307 | 239 | |||||||
| Other | Financing/Investing | 122 | 69 | |||||||
| 7,210 | 4,778 | |||||||||
| Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss) on Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Held in Foreign Currency | (9 | ) | (2 | ) | ||||||
| Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | $ | (2 | ) | $ | (190 | ) |
(1)
Includes open market repurchases and redemption of the Company’s $1.0 billion senior notes in 2022.
Operating Activities
Net cash from operating activities in 2023 was $4,167 million and was primarily a reflection of the impacts from average realized commodity prices, production volumes and changes in non-cash working capital.
Additional detail on changes in non-cash working capital can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv expects it will continue to meet the payment terms of its suppliers.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow in 2023 was $3,899 million and was primarily impacted by the items affecting cash from operating activities which are discussed below and in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2023 versus 2022
Net cash from operating activities increased $301 million compared to 2022 primarily due to:
•
Lower realized losses on risk management in revenues compared to 2022 ($2,565 million), higher production volumes ($1,273 million), changes in non-cash working capital ($517 million), lower production, mineral and other taxes ($73 million), and lower transportation and processing expense ($20 million);
partially offset by:
•
Lower realized commodity prices ($3,638 million), increase in current income taxes ($271 million), higher interest expense ($71 million), higher operating expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($68 million), higher administrative expenses, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($67 million) and lower interest income ($14 million).
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Investing Activities
The Company’s primary investing activities are capital expenditures, acquisitions and divestitures, and are summarized in Notes 2 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2023 and 2022
Net cash used in investing activities in 2023 was $5,519 million primarily due to capital expenditures and the Permian Acquisition. Capital expenditures increased $913 million compared to 2022 primarily due to a higher capital expenditure plan, additional capital spending associated with the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023 and sustained inflationary cost pressures.
Acquisitions in 2023, other than the Permian Acquisition, were $277 million, which primarily included property purchases with oil and liquids-rich potential in the USA Operations (2022 - $286 million).
Corporate acquisition in 2023 was $3,225 million, which relates to the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023. Additional information regarding the Permian Acquisition can be found in Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Divestitures in 2023 were $772 million, which primarily included the sale of the Bakken assets in North Dakota and certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets. Divestitures in 2022 were $228 million, which primarily included the sale of portions of the Uinta assets located in northeastern Utah and Bakken assets located in northeastern Montana, as well as certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash from and/or used in financing activities has been impacted by the Company’s bond offering in the second quarter of 2023 to finance a portion of the Permian Acquisition and Ovintiv’s strategic objective to return value to shareholders by repaying or repurchasing existing debt, purchasing shares of common stock and paying dividends.
2023 versus 2022
Net cash from financing activities in 2023 was $1,359 million compared to net cash used in financing activities of $2,268 million in 2022. The change was primarily due to the net issuance of long-term debt in 2023 of $2,278 million as discussed below compared to a repayment in 2022 of $1,634 million and decreased purchases of shares of common stock in 2023 compared to 2022 ($293 million), partially offset by a repayment of revolving debt compared to a net issuance in 2022 ($502 million) and an increase in dividend payments in 2023 ($68 million).
From time to time, Ovintiv may seek to retire or purchase the Company’s outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for other debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, the Company’s liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors.
The Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion of $284 million, totaled $5,737 million at December 31, 2023. The Company’s long-term debt at December 31, 2022 totaled $3,570 million, including the current portion of $393 million. As at December 31, 2023, the Company has no fixed rate long-term debt due until 2025 and beyond.
On May 31, 2023, Ovintiv completed a public offering of senior unsecured notes of $600 million with a coupon rate of 5.65 percent due May 15, 2025, $700 million with a coupon rate of 5.65 percent due May 15, 2028, $600 million with a coupon rate of 6.25 percent due July 15, 2033 and $400 million with a coupon rate of 7.10 percent due July 15, 2053. The net proceeds of the offering, totaling $2,278 million, were used to fund a portion of the Company’s Permian Acquisition.
In support of the Company’s commitment to enhancing shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to provide competitive returns to shareholders while strengthening its balance sheet. Ovintiv expects to continue to deliver additional shareholder returns through share buybacks.
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For additional information on long-term debt, refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Dividends
The Company pays quarterly dividends to common shareholders at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Payments | $ | 307 | $ | 239 | |||
| Dividend Payments ($/share) | $ | 1.15 | $ | 0.95 |
On February 27, 2024, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock payable on March 28, 2024 to common shareholders of record as of March 15, 2024.
Dividends increased $68 million compared to 2022 as a result of Ovintiv increasing its annualized dividend to $1.00 per share of common stock in the second quarter of 2022 and a further increase to an annualized dividend of $1.20 per share of common stock in the second quarter of 2023. The dividend increase reflects the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Normal Course Issuer Bid and Other Share Buybacks
On September 26, 2023, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, which enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 26.7 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2023 to October 2, 2024. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents 10 percent of Ovintiv’s public float as at September 21, 2023. The Company expects to continue to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework.
During 2023, the Company purchased for cancellation, approximately 10 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $426 million. This includes the Company’s share purchases from the secondary public offerings by NMB Stock Trust as discussed below.
On September 13, 2023, the Company purchased one million shares of Ovintiv common stock from the 15 million shares offered for sale in an underwritten secondary public offering by NMB Stock Trust. The total consideration paid was approximately $45 million, averaging $45.45 per share, and the shares were canceled during the third quarter of 2023.
On November 22, 2023, the Company purchased approximately 1.2 million shares of Ovintiv common stock from the 9.4 million shares offered for sale in an underwritten secondary public offering by NMB Stock Trust. The total consideration paid was approximately $53 million, averaging $44.00 per share, and the shares were canceled during the fourth quarter of 2023.
The two share purchases discussed above were completed in contemplation of the shareholder return framework and were executed under the Company’s U.S. shelf registration statement.
For additional information on the NCIB, refer to Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Material Cash Requirements
Ovintiv’s material cash requirements include various contractual obligations arising from long-term debt, operating leases, risk management liabilities and asset retirement obligations which are recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company expects to fund long-term material cash requirements primarily with cash from operating activities.
Interest payments include scheduled cash payments on finance leases, long-term debt, and other obligations. Additional information can be found in Notes 14 and 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Operating leases include drilling rigs, compressors, office and buildings, certain land easements and various equipment utilized in the development and production of oil, NGLs and natural gas, as well as The Bow building. The Company subleased approximately 50 percent of The Bow office space under the lease agreement. Additional information on leases can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risk management liabilities represent Ovintiv’s net liability positions with counterparties. Additional information can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contractual commitments relating to transportation and processing commitments, and drilling and field services can be found in Notes 14 and 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further to the commitments discussed above, Ovintiv also has various obligations that become payable if certain future events occur relating to take or pay arrangements and guarantees on transportation commitments resulting from completed property divestitures as described in Notes 20, 24 and 26, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the Company has obligations to fund the disposal of long-lived assets upon their abandonment as well as its obligations to fund its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans as described in Notes 17 and 22, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other than the items discussed above, there are no other transactions, arrangements, or relationships with unconsolidated entities or persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
Contingencies
For information on contingencies, refer to Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. For a discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ from these estimates. Management considers the following to be its most critical accounting estimates that involve judgment. The following discussion outlines the accounting policies and practices involving the use of estimates that are critical to determining Ovintiv’s financial results. Changes in the estimates and assumptions discussed below could materially affect the amount or timing of the financial results of the Company.
| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream Assets and Reserve EstimatesAs Ovintiv follows full cost accounting for oil, NGLs and natural gas activities, reserves estimates are a key input to the Company’s depletion, gain or loss on divestitures and ceiling test impairment calculations. In addition, these reserves are the basis for the Company’s supplemental oil and gas disclosures. | Due to the inter-relationship of various judgments made to reserve estimates and the volatile nature of commodity prices, it is generally not possible to predict the timing or magnitude of ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv estimates its proved oil and natural gas reserves according to the definition of proved reserves provided by the SEC. The Company’s estimates of proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data as well as production performance data and must demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be economically producible in future periods from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. The estimation of reserves is a subjective process. | Revisions to significant reserve estimates are necessary due to changes in and among other things, development plans, projected future rates of production, the timing of future expenditures, reservoir performance, economic conditions, governmental restrictions as well as changes in the expected recovery associated with infill drilling, all of which are subject to numerous uncertainties and various interpretations. Downward revisions in proved reserve estimates due to changes in reserve estimates may increase depletion expense and may also result in a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Reserves are calculated using an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements. | Decreases in prices may result in reductions in certain proved reserves due to reaching economic limits at an earlier projected date and impact earnings through depletion expense and ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs as it gives consideration to probable and possible reserves and future changes in commodity prices. | Ovintiv believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. | |
| Business CombinationsOvintiv follows the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized at the date of acquisition at their respective estimated fair values. Any excess of the purchase price over the fair value amounts assigned to assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Any deficiency of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net assets acquired is recorded as a gain in net earnings. | The most significant assumptions relate to the estimated fair values assigned to proved and unproved oil and natural gas properties. The assumptions made in performing these valuations include discount rates, future commodity prices and costs, the timing of development activities, projections of oil and gas reserves, and estimates to abandon and reclaim producing wells. Changes in key assumptions may cause the acquisition accounting to be revised, including the recognition of additional goodwill or discount on acquisition. There is no assurance the underlying assumptions or estimates associated with the valuation will occur as initially expected. | |
| Fair value estimates are determined based on information that existed at the time of the acquisition, utilizing expectations and assumptions that would be available to and made by a market participant. When market-observable prices are not available to value assets and liabilities, the Company may use the cost, income, or market valuation approaches depending on the quality of information available to support management’s assumptions. | Estimated fair values assigned to assets acquired can have a significant effect on results of operations in the future through impairments of goodwill. In addition, differences between the future commodity prices when acquiring assets and the historical 12-month average trailing price to calculate ceiling test impairments of upstream assets may impact net earnings. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodwill ImpairmentsGoodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in December, at the reporting unit level which are Ovintiv’s country cost centers. To assess impairment, the carrying amount of each reporting unit is determined and compared to the fair value of each respective reporting unit. Any excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, over its fair value is recognized as an impairment and charged to net earnings. The impairment charge measured is limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Subsequent measurement of goodwill is at cost less any accumulated impairments. | The most significant assumptions used to determine a reporting unit’s fair value include estimations of oil and natural gas reserves, including both proved reserves and risk-adjusted unproved reserves, estimates of market prices considering forward commodity price curves as of the measurement date, market discount rates and estimates of operating, administrative, and capital costs adjusted for inflation. In addition, management may support fair value estimates determined with comparable companies that are actively traded in the public market, recent comparable asset transactions, and transaction premiums. This would require management to make certain judgments about the selection of comparable companies utilized. | |
| Because quoted market prices for the Company’s reporting units are not available, management applies judgment in determining the estimated fair value of reporting units for purposes of performing goodwill impairment tests. Ovintiv may use a combination of the income and the market valuation approaches. | Downward revisions of estimated reserves quantities, increases in future cost estimates, sustained decreases in oil or natural gas prices, or divestiture of a significant component of the reporting unit could reduce expected future cash flows and fair value estimates of the reporting units and possibly result in an impairment of goodwill in future periods. | |
| The Company has assessed its goodwill for impairment at December 31, 2023 and no impairment was recognized. The reporting units’ fair values were substantially in excess of the carrying values and as a result were not at risk of failing the impairment test as at December 31, 2023. | ||
| Asset Retirement ObligationAsset retirement obligations are those legal obligations where the Company will be required to retire tangible long-lived assets such as producing well sites, processing plants, and restoring land at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. The fair value of estimated asset retirement obligations is recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet when incurred and a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The asset retirement cost, equal to the initially estimated fair value of the asset retirement obligation, is capitalized as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the estimated obligation are recognized as a change in the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost. Actual expenditures incurred are charged against the accumulated asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. | Asset removal technologies and costs are constantly changing, as are regulatory, political, environmental, safety, and public relations considerations. The asset retirement obligation is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows of the settlement. The discounted cash flows are based on estimates of such factors as reserves lives, retirement costs, timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and inflation rates. Changes in these estimates impact net earnings through accretion of the asset retirement obligation in addition to depletion of the asset retirement cost included in property, plant and equipment. | |
| Derivative Financial InstrumentsOvintiv uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks relating to commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company’s policy is not to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Realized gains or losses from financial derivatives are recognized in net earnings as the contracts are settled. Unrealized gains and losses are recognized in net earnings at the end of each respective reporting period based on the changes in fair value of the contracts.Derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. Fair value estimates are determined using quoted prices in active markets, inferred based on market prices of similar assets and liabilities or valued using internally developed estimates. The Company may use various valuation techniques including the discounted cash flow or option valuation models. | Ovintiv’s derivative financial instruments primarily relate to commodities including oil, NGLs and natural gas. The most significant assumptions used in determining the fair value to the Company’s commodity derivatives financial instruments include estimates of future commodity prices, implied volatilities of commodity prices, discount rates and estimates of counterparty credit risk. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to the period of the contract and market volatility as well as regional price differentials. These inputs may also be observable and corroborated by market data or unobservable and sourced from limited market activity, internally generated estimates or corroborated by third parties. Changes in these estimates and assumptions can impact net earnings, revenues and expenses. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| As Ovintiv has chosen not to elect hedge accounting treatment for the Company’s derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments can have a significant impact on Ovintiv’s results of operations. Generally, changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments do not impact the Company’s liquidity or capital resources. Settlements of derivative financial instruments do have an impact on the Company’s liquidity and results of operation. | ||
| Income TaxesOvintiv follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of any temporary difference between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability, using the enacted income tax rates and laws expected to apply when the assets are realized and liabilities are settled. Current income taxes are measured at the amount expected to be recoverable from or payable to the taxing authorities based on the income tax rates and laws enacted at the end of the reporting period. The effect of a change in the enacted tax rates or laws is recognized in net earnings in the period of enactment. | Tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and potential Treasury Department guidance, in the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate are subject to change and interpretation. As such, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty and the interpretations can impact net earnings through the income tax expense arising from the changes in deferred income tax assets or liabilities. | |
| Deferred income tax assets are assessed routinely for realizability. If it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets. | Ovintiv considers available positive and negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, including historic and expected future taxable earnings, available tax planning strategies and carry forward periods. Numerous judgments and assumptions are inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions, particularly related to oil and natural gas prices. As a result, the assumptions used in determining expected future taxable earnings are consistent with those used in the goodwill impairment assessment. | |
| Ovintiv recognizes the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. A recognized tax position is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. Liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to be settled within the next 12 months are included in other liabilities and provisions. | The Company routinely assesses potential uncertain tax positions and, if required, establishes accruals for such amounts. The accruals are adjusted based on changes in facts and circumstances. Material changes to Ovintiv’s income tax accruals may occur in the future based on the progress of ongoing audits, changes in legislation or resolution of pending matters.During 2023, the Company recorded unrecognized U.S. federal and state tax benefits resulting from research and development (“R&D”) expenditures related to drilling and completions costs incurred in the prior years. Additional information on R&D credits can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. | |
| The Company is required to assess whether the unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are considered to be permanently reinvested. Changes in repatriation plans are evaluated based on the specific facts and circumstances to determine how those changes affect the recognition and measurement of income tax liabilities and whether those changes in plans affect Ovintiv’s ongoing assertions related to the indefinite reinvestment of basis differences. If the indefinite reinvestment assertion can no longer be made, a deferred tax liability is generally required for a book-over-tax outside basis difference attributable to the foreign subsidiaries. | Ovintiv has assessed that its unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are permanently reinvested. As at December 31, 2023, the Company has a taxable temporary difference of approximately $705 million in respect of unremitted earnings that continue to be permanently reinvested for which a deferred income tax liability of $35 million has not been recognized and becomes subject to taxation upon the remittance of dividends. The deferred tax liability considers U.S. federal, state and foreign withholding tax implications. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Contingent LiabilitiesOvintiv is subject to various legal proceedings, environmental remediation, commercial and regulatory claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable, except for contingencies acquired in a business combination which are recorded at fair value at the time of the acquisition. If a loss is probable but the Company cannot estimate a specific amount for that loss, the best estimate within the range is accrued and if no amount is better within the range, the minimum amount is accrued. | The establishment and evaluation of a contingent loss is based on advice from legal counsel, advisors or consultants and management’s judgment. Actual costs can vary from such estimates for various reasons including: i) differing interpretation of the law, opinions on responsibility and assessments on the amount of damages; ii) changes in status of litigation or claims and information available; iii) differing interpretation of regulations by regulators or the courts; iv) changes in laws and regulations; and v) additional or developing information relating to extent and nature of environmental remediation and technology improvements. The Company continually monitors known and potential legal, environmental and other claims or contingencies based on available information. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently foreseeable could result in the actual liabilities recorded exceeding the estimated amounts accrued. |
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Non-GAAP Measures
Certain measures in this document do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by U.S. GAAP and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. These measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry and by Ovintiv to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Non-GAAP measures include: Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA. Management’s use of these measures is discussed further below.
Cash from Operating Activities and Non-GAAP Cash Flow
Non-GAAP Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as cash from (used in) operating activities excluding net change in other assets and liabilities, and net change in non-cash working capital.
Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operating and financial performance across periods and against other companies in the industry, and is an indication of the Company’s ability to generate cash to finance capital investment programs, to service debt and to meet other financial obligations. This measure is used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash From (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 4,167 | $ | 3,866 | ||||
| (Add back) deduct: | ||||||||
| Net change in other assets and liabilities | (62 | ) | (57 | ) | ||||
| Net change in non-cash working capital | 330 | (187 | ) | |||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow | $ | 3,899 | $ | 4,110 |
Debt to Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted Capitalization
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization is a non-GAAP measure which adjusts capitalization for historical ceiling test impairments that were recorded as at December 31, 2011. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization as a proxy for the Company’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities which require Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. Adjusted Capitalization includes debt, total shareholders’ equity and an equity adjustment for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded as at December 31, 2011 in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,737 | $ | 3,570 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 10,370 | 7,689 | |||||
| Capitalization | $ | 16,107 | $ | 11,259 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization | 36% | 32% | |||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,737 | $ | 3,570 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 10,370 | 7,689 | |||||
| Equity Adjustment for Impairments at December 31, 2011 | 7,746 | 7,746 | |||||
| Adjusted Capitalization | $ | 23,853 | $ | 19,005 | |||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization | 24% | 19% |
The increases in Debt to Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted Capitalization are primarily due to the increase in long-term debt resulting from the Permian Acquisition in the second quarter of 2023.
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Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. EBITDA is defined as trailing 12- month net earnings (loss) before income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and interest. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA adjusted for impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, unrealized gains/losses on risk management, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on divestitures and other gains/losses.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of financial leverage and the Company’s ability to service its debt and other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain financial performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including Current Portion) | $ | 5,737 | $ | 3,570 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 2,085 | 3,637 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,825 | 1,113 | ||||||
| Interest | 355 | 311 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | 425 | (77 | ) | |||||
| EBITDA | $ | 4,690 | $ | 4,984 | ||||
| Debt to EBITDA (times) | 1.2 | 0.7 | ||||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including current portion) | $ | 5,737 | $ | 3,570 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 2,085 | 3,637 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,825 | 1,113 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 19 | 18 | ||||||
| Interest | 355 | 311 | ||||||
| Unrealized (gains) losses on risk management | (194 | ) | (741 | ) | ||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | 19 | 15 | ||||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (20 | ) | (33 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | 425 | (77 | ) | |||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,514 | $ | 4,243 | ||||
| Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (times) | 1.3 | 0.8 |
The increases in Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are primarily due to the increase in long-term debt resulting from the Permian Acquisition. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only include the results of operations from the acquired Permian assets for the post-acquisition period from June 12, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
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FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564590-23-002595.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s consolidated 2022 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 results. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2022 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Discussion and analysis of 2020 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 results that are not included in this Form 10-K, and can be found in Item 7 of the 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This MD&A includes the following sections:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Executive Overview |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Results of Operations |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Liquidity and Capital Resources |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Accounting Policies and Estimates |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Non-GAAP Measures |
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv is a leading North American energy producer that is focused on developing its multi-basin portfolio of oil, NGLs and natural gas producing plays as part of its strategy outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv is committed to growing long-term shareholder value by delivering on its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, commercial acumen and risk management, while driving environmental, social and governance progress. The Company’s strategy is founded on its multi-basin portfolio of top tier assets, financial strength, as well as its core and foundational values.
In support of the Company’s commitment to unlocking shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to increase returns to shareholders while focusing on continued debt reduction.
Ovintiv is delivering results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Thoughtfully developed best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics, targets and progress achieved relating to ESG practices can be found in the Company Outlook section of this MD&A and on the Company’s sustainability website.
Ovintiv continually reviews and evaluates its strategy and changing market conditions in order to maximize cash flows from its high-quality assets and renew its premium well inventory locations in some of the best plays in North America. These assets form a multi-basin portfolio of oil, NGLs and natural gas producing plays enabling flexible and efficient investment of capital that support the Company’s strategy.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and shareholder value.
For additional information on Ovintiv’s strategy, its reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information on the segmented results, refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Non-GAAP Total Costs and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Highlights
During 2022, the Company focused on executing its 2022 capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, minimizing the impact of inflation, delivering cash from operating activities and reducing long-term debt. Higher upstream product revenues in 2022 compared to 2021 resulted from higher average realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities. Increases in average realized natural gas and liquids prices of 65 percent and 35 percent, respectively, were primarily due to higher benchmark prices. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.
The Company delivered significant cash from operating activities of $3,866 million which included a net realized loss of $2,613 million on the settlement of commodity and foreign exchange risk management positions.
Significant Developments
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On May 9, 2022, Ovintiv announced an increase of 25 percent to its quarterly dividend payment representing an annualized dividend of $1.00 per share of common stock as part of the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On May 9, 2022, Ovintiv issued a notice to the trustee to redeem the Company’s $1.0 billion, 5.625 percent senior notes due July 1, 2024. The senior notes were redeemed on June 10, 2022 with cash on hand and other existing sources of liquidity. The debt redemption will result in annualized interest savings of approximately $55 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On July 6, 2022, Ovintiv elected to accelerate the increase in cash returns to shareholders as a result of the Company’s continued strong financial performance and the previously announced asset sales. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company increased its cash return to shareholders from 25 percent to 50 percent of Non-GAAP Cash Flow in excess of capital expenditures and base dividends. Ovintiv delivered the additional shareholder returns through share buybacks under its NCIB program. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | During the third quarter of 2022, the Company closed its previously announced divestitures for portions of its Uinta and Bakken assets, and received combined proceeds of approximately $215 million, after closing and other adjustments. Both transactions were effective April 1, 2022. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On September 28, 2022, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, that enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 24.8 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2022 to October 2, 2023. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents approximately 10 percent of Ovintiv’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock as at September 19, 2022. The Company continues to execute the NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework. |
Financial Results
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported net earnings of $3,637 million, including net losses on risk management in revenues of $1,867 million, before tax. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Generated cash from operating activities of $3,866 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $4,110 million. Cash from operating activities exceeded capital expenditures by $2,035 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Purchased for cancellation, approximately 14.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $719 million. |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Paid dividends of $0.95 per share of common stock totaling $239 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Repurchased in the open market approximately $565 million in principal amount of the Company’s senior notes. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Had $3.3 billion in total liquidity as at December 31, 2022, which included available credit facilities of $3.5 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $195 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $5 million, net of outstanding commercial paper of $393 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reduced total long-term debt by $1,216 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported Debt to EBITDA of 0.7 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 0.8 times. |
Capital Investment
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported total capital spending of $1,831 million, which was in line with the full year 2022 investment plan of approximately $1.8 billion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Focused on highly efficient capital activity to minimize the impact of inflation and to benefit from short-cycle high margin and/or low-cost projects which provide flexibility to respond to fluctuations in commodity prices. |
Production
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Produced average liquids volumes of 261.1 Mbbls/d which accounted for 51 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 175.6 Mbbls/d, or 67 percent of total liquids production volumes, was in line with full year 2022 guidance of 174.0 Mbbls/d to 176.0 Mbbls/d. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,494 MMcf/d which accounted for 49 percent of total production volumes and was in line with full year 2022 guidance of 1,480 MMcf/d to 1,510 MMcf/d. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Produced average total volumes of 510.0 MBOE/d, which was in line with full year 2022 guidance of 505.0 MBOE/d to 515.0 MBOE/d. |
Operating Expenses
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Total operating expenses in 2022 of $8,611 million increased by $1,472 million compared to 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Incurred Non-GAAP Total Costs in 2022 of $3,045 million, or $16.36 per BOE, an increase of $432 million or $2.94 per BOE compared to 2021. Non-GAAP Total Costs per BOE was within the full year 2022 guidance range of $16.35 per BOE to $16.60 per BOE. Non-GAAP Total Costs is defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A. Significant items impacting Non-GAAP Total Costs in 2022 compared to 2021 include: |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Higher upstream transportation and processing expenses of $184 million, primarily due to higher variable contract rates in Permian, Uinta, Anadarko and Bakken resulting from higher commodity prices; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Higher upstream operating expenses, excluding long-term incentive costs, of $168 million, primarily due to inflationary pressures as a result of the higher commodity price environment and increased activity relating to discretionary workovers; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Higher production, mineral and other taxes of $122 million, primarily due to higher commodity prices; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Lower administrative expense, excluding long-term incentive, restructuring and legal costs, and current expected credit losses, of $42 million, primarily due to a decrease in building lease and consulting costs. |
Additional information on total operating expenses above and Non-GAAP Total Costs items can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
53
2023 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.
Oil prices for 2023 will be impacted by the interplay between recessionary concerns, continued OPEC+ production restraint, increasing global demand for oil and continued supply uncertainties resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Recessionary concerns continue to have an impact on global demand as central banks maintain tight monetary policies. Supply and the accumulation of global oil inventories will be impacted by changes in OPEC+ production levels, the extent of decline in oil exports from Russia and changes in production by non-OPEC countries.
Natural Gas Markets
Natural gas prices are primarily impacted by structural changes in supply and demand as well as deviations from seasonally normal weather.
Natural gas prices for 2023 will be impacted by the interplay between natural gas production and associated natural gas from oil production, changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of U.S. liquefied natural gas, impacts from seasonal weather, as well as supply chain constraints or other disruptions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Company Outlook
The Company will continue to exercise discretion and discipline to optimize capital allocation throughout 2023 as the commodity price environment evolves. Ovintiv pursues innovative ways to maximize cash flows and minimize the impact of inflation to reduce upstream operating and administrative expenses.
Markets for oil and natural gas are exposed to different price risks and are inherently volatile. While the market price for oil tends to move in the same direction as the global market, regional differentials may develop. Natural gas prices may vary between geographic regions depending on local supply and demand conditions. To mitigate price volatility and provide more certainty around cash flows, the Company may enter into derivative financial instruments. As at December 31, 2022, the Company has hedged approximately 38.0 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 397 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production for 2023. In addition, Ovintiv proactively utilizes transportation contracts to diversify the Company’s sales markets, thereby reducing significant exposure to any given market and regional pricing.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s hedging program can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Capital Investment
The Company plans to spend approximately $2,150 million to $2,350 million on its full year 2023 capital investment program, focusing on maximizing returns from high margin liquids. In 2023, the Company expects to generate significant cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
Ovintiv continually strives to improve well performance and lower costs through innovative techniques. Ovintiv’s redesigned wet sand sourcing model, which incorporates on-site sand storage and delivery systems, helps to prevent mine and trucking delays, thereby increasing truck productivity to enable smooth integration with local mine access. This model increases operational efficiencies and contributes to well cost savings as well as providing increased resiliency against winter weather. Ovintiv's large-scale cube development model utilizes multi-well pads and advanced completion designs to maximize returns and resource recovery from its reservoirs. Ovintiv’s disciplined capital program and continuous innovation create flexibility to allocate capital in changing commodity markets to
54
minimize the impact of inflation, and maximize cash flows while preserving the long-term value of the Company’s multi-basin portfolio.
Production
Ovintiv is strategically positioned in the current environment to maintain a relatively flat production profile while generating significant cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
In 2023, the Company expects full year average total production volumes of approximately 500.0 MBOE/d to 525.0 MBOE/d, oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 165.0 Mbbls/d to 175.0 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 80.0 Mbbls/d to 85.0 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 1,525 MMcf/d to 1,575 MMcf/d.
Operating Expenses
With increased activity in the oil and gas industry and strong commodity prices, inflationary pressures are expected to continue to elevate service and supply costs. Upward pressure on service and supply costs will continue to be impacted by supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and increased demand for fuel, electricity and steel.
Ovintiv continues to pursue innovative ways to minimize inflationary pressures with efficiency improvements and effective supply chain management to reduce upstream operating expenses. Efficiency improvements were driven by Ovintiv’s innovative practices which include using the cube development approach to maximize simul-frac completions, increasing local wet sand storage, redesigning and re-using equipment, and improving longer lateral length developments. The Company quickly deployed innovations and best practices across its portfolio, ultimately maximizing the performance and overall efficiency of its operations.
In 2023, the Company expects to incur full year upstream transportation and processing costs of approximately $9.00 per BOE to $9.50 per BOE, upstream operating expenses of approximately $4.00 per BOE to $4.50 per BOE, and total production, mineral and other taxes of approximately four to five percent of upstream revenues. The Company’s upstream operations refers to the summation of the USA and Canadian operating segments.
Long-Term Debt Reduction
Ovintiv remains focused on strengthening its balance sheet, reducing its long-term debt balance by $3.3 billion since the end of 2020.
In June 2022, Ovintiv redeemed its $1.0 billion, 5.625 percent senior notes due July 1, 2024, with cash on hand and other existing sources of liquidity. The debt redemption will result in annualized interest savings of approximately $55 million.
In 2022, the Company also repurchased in the open market, portions of certain senior notes totaling approximately $565 million in principal, plus accrued interest and premiums. The Company paid premiums of $22 million to complete the open market repurchases, which will result in annualized interest savings of approximately $33 million.
As at December 31, 2022, the Company had $393 million of commercial paper outstanding under its U.S. commercial paper (“U.S. CP”) programs and no outstanding balances under its revolving credit facilities.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s long-term debt and liquidity position can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A, respectively.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s 2023 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ovintiv.com.
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Environmental, Social and Governance
Ovintiv recognizes climate change as a global concern and the importance of reducing its environmental footprint as part of the solution. The Company voluntarily participates in emission reduction programs and has adopted a range of strategies to help reduce emissions from its operations. These strategies include incorporating new and proven technologies and optimizing processes in its operations and working closely with third-party providers to develop best practices. The Company continues to look for innovative techniques and efficiencies to help maintain its commitment to emission reductions.
During the first quarter of 2022, the Company announced a Scope 1&2 GHG emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent compared to 2019 levels, to be achieved by 2030. The GHG emissions reduction target is tied to the 2022 annual compensation program for all employees.
In May 2022, Ovintiv published its full year 2021 ESG results in its 2022 Sustainability Report which highlights the Company’s progress in emissions intensity reductions. During 2021, the Company reduced its Scope 1&2 GHG emissions intensity by 24 percent compared to 2019 and reduced its methane emissions intensity by greater than 50 percent compared to 2019.
Ovintiv’s constant pursuit of efficiencies and continuous improvements allowed the Company to eliminate routine flaring in its operations. The Company is in full alignment with the World Bank Zero Routine Flaring initiative, well ahead of the World Bank’s target date of 2030.
Ovintiv is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (“DEI”). The Company’s social commitment framework, which is rooted in the Company’s foundational values of integrity, safety, sustainability, trust and respect, fosters a culture of inclusion that respects stakeholders and strengthens communities.
Ovintiv remains committed to protecting the health and safety of its workforce. Safety is a foundational value at Ovintiv and plays a critical role in the Company’s belief that a safe workplace is a strong indicator of a well-managed business. This safety-oriented mindset enables the Company to quickly respond to emergencies and minimize any impacts to employees and business continuity. Safety performance goals are incorporated into the Company’s annual compensation program. Additional information on DEI and employee safety can be found in the Human Capital section of Item 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further information on Ovintiv’s ESG practices are outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and on the Company’s sustainability website at https://sustainability.ovintiv.com.
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Results of Operations
Selected Financial Information
| ($ millions) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product and Service Revenues | ||||||||
| Upstream product revenues | $ | 10,151 | $ | 7,420 | ||||
| Market optimization | 4,107 | 3,043 | ||||||
| Service revenues (1) | 5 | 5 | ||||||
| Total Product and Service Revenues | 14,263 | 10,468 | ||||||
| Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | (1,867 | ) | (1,883 | ) | ||||
| Sublease Revenues | 68 | 73 | ||||||
| Total Revenues | 12,464 | 8,658 | ||||||
| Total Operating Expenses (2) | 8,611 | 7,139 | ||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | 3,853 | 1,519 | ||||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | 293 | 280 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) Before Income Tax | 3,560 | 1,239 | ||||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | (77 | ) | (177 | ) | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 3,637 | $ | 1,416 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Service revenues include amounts related to the USA and Canadian Operations. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Total Operating Expenses include non-cash items such as DD&A, accretion of asset retirement obligations and long-term incentive costs. |
Revenues
Ovintiv’s revenues are substantially derived from sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas production. Increases or decreases in Ovintiv’s revenue, profitability and future production are highly dependent on the commodity prices the Company receives. Prices are market driven and fluctuate due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as supply and demand, seasonality and geopolitical and economic factors. The Company’s realized prices generally reflect WTI, NYMEX, Edmonton Condensate and AECO benchmark prices, as well as other downstream benchmarks, including Houston and Dawn. The Company proactively mitigates price risk and optimizes margins by entering into firm transportation contracts to diversify market access to different sales points. Realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities, may differ from the benchmarks for many reasons, including quality, location, or production being sold at different market hubs.
Benchmark prices relevant to the Company are shown in the table below.
Benchmark Prices
| (average for the period) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil & NGLs | |||||||
| WTI ($/bbl) | $ | 94.23 | $ | 67.91 | |||
| Houston ($/bbl) | 95.89 | 68.85 | |||||
| Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | 122.02 | 85.48 | |||||
| Natural Gas | |||||||
| NYMEX ($/MMBtu) | $ | 6.64 | $ | 3.84 | |||
| AECO (C$/Mcf) | 5.56 | 3.56 | |||||
| Dawn (C$/MMBtu) | 7.89 | 4.60 |
57
Production Volumes and Realized Prices
| Production Volumes (1) | Realized Prices (2) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 131.5 | 140.0 | $ | 94.25 | $ | 65.69 | ||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 0.1 | 0.3 | 87.28 | 56.71 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 131.6 | 140.3 | 94.25 | 65.67 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 10.4 | 10.5 | 73.22 | 60.18 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 33.6 | 40.4 | 93.22 | 67.11 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 44.0 | 50.9 | 88.52 | 65.68 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 71.7 | 67.5 | 29.35 | 25.66 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 13.8 | 15.8 | 42.39 | 29.45 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 85.5 | 83.3 | 31.45 | 26.38 | ||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 213.6 | 218.0 | 71.44 | 53.04 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 47.5 | 56.5 | 78.46 | 56.48 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 261.1 | 274.5 | 72.72 | 53.75 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d, $/Mcf) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 492 | 490 | 6.18 | 3.71 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,002 | 1,066 | 5.75 | 3.52 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,494 | 1,556 | 5.89 | 3.58 | ||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d, $/BOE) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 295.5 | 299.7 | 61.91 | 44.65 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 214.5 | 234.2 | 44.26 | 29.66 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 510.0 | 533.9 | 54.49 | 38.08 | ||||||||||||
| Production Mix (%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Plant Condensate | 34 | 36 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other | 17 | 15 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 51 | 51 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 49 | 49 | ||||||||||||||
| Production Change – Year Over Year (%) (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | (5 | ) | (5 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | (4 | ) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Total Production | (4 | ) | (2 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Average daily. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Average per-unit prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | Includes production impacts of acquisitions and divestitures. |
58
Upstream Product Revenues
| ($ millions) | Oil | NGLs - Plant Condensate | NGLs - Other | Natural Gas | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Upstream Product Revenues | $ | 3,364 | $ | 1,218 | $ | 802 | $ | 2,032 | $ | 7,416 | ||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) due to: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales prices | 1,370 | 372 | 162 | 1,259 | 3,163 | |||||||||||||||
| Production volumes | (208 | ) | (168 | ) | 17 | (78 | ) | (437 | ) | |||||||||||
| 2022 Upstream Product Revenues (1) | $ | 4,526 | $ | 1,422 | $ | 981 | $ | 3,213 | $ | 10,142 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Revenues for 2022 exclude certain other revenue and royalty adjustments with no associated production volumes of $9 million (2021 - $4 million). |
Oil Revenues
2022 versus 2021
Oil revenues were higher by $1,162 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | An increase of $28.58 per bbl, or 44 percent, in the average realized oil prices which increased revenues by $1,370 million. The increase reflected higher WTI and Houston benchmark prices which were both up 39 percent and the strengthening of regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price in the USA Operations; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average oil production volumes of 8.7 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $208 million. Lower volumes were primarily due to natural declines in Permian and Anadarko (10.2 Mbbls/d) and the sale of Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (5.8 Mbbls/d), partially offset by successful drilling in Uinta and Bakken (9.0 Mbbls/d). |
NGL Revenues
2022 versus 2021
NGL revenues were higher by $383 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | An increase of $22.84 per bbl, or 35 percent, in the average realized plant condensate price which increased revenues by $372 million. The increase reflected higher Edmonton Condensate and WTI benchmark prices which were up 43 percent and 39 percent, respectively, and changes in regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | An increase of $5.07 per bbl, or 19 percent, in the average realized other NGL prices which increased revenues by $162 million. The increase reflected higher other NGL benchmark prices and higher regional pricing; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average plant condensate production volumes of 6.9 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $168 million. Lower volumes were primarily due to higher royalties resulting from higher commodity prices in Montney (2.8 Mbbls/d) and natural declines in Montney (2.7 Mbbls/d). |
59
Natural Gas Revenues
2022 versus 2021
Natural gas revenues were higher by $1,181 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | An increase of $2.31 per Mcf, or 65 percent, in the average realized natural gas prices which increased revenues by $1,259 million. The increase reflected higher NYMEX, Dawn and AECO benchmark prices which were up 73 percent, 72 percent and 56 percent, respectively; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average natural gas production volumes of 62 MMcf/d decreased revenues by $78 million primarily due to higher royalties resulting from higher commodity prices in Montney (95 MMcf/d) and the sales of Duvernay and Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (20 MMcf/d), partially offset by successful drilling in Montney (59 MMcf/d). |
Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net
As a means of managing commodity price volatility, Ovintiv enters into commodity derivative financial instruments on a portion of its expected oil, NGLs and natural gas production volumes. Additional information on the Company’s commodity price positions as at December 31, 2022 can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table provides the effects of the Company’s risk management activities on revenues.
| $ millions | Per-Unit | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commodity Price (1) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oil ($/bbl) | $ | (594 | ) | $ | (737 | ) | $ | (12.37 | ) | $ | (14.39 | ) | ||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate ($/bbl) | (125 | ) | (155 | ) | $ | (7.78 | ) | $ | (8.35 | ) | ||||||||
| NGLs - Other ($/bbl) | - | (131 | ) | $ | - | $ | (4.31 | ) | ||||||||||
| Natural Gas ($/Mcf) | (1,895 | ) | (373 | ) | $ | (3.47 | ) | $ | (0.66 | ) | ||||||||
| Other (2) | 6 | 1 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Total ($/BOE) | (2,608 | ) | (1,395 | ) | $ | (14.04 | ) | $ | (7.17 | ) | ||||||||
| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | 741 | (488 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Total Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | $ | (1,867 | ) | $ | (1,883 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes realized gains and losses related to the USA and Canadian Operations. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Other primarily includes realized gains or losses from other derivative contracts with no associated production volumes. |
Ovintiv recognizes fair value changes from its risk management activities each reporting period. The changes in fair value result from new positions and settlements that occur during each period, as well as the relationship between contract prices and the associated forward curves. Realized gains or losses on risk management activities related to commodity price mitigation are included in the USA Operations, Canadian Operations and Market Optimization revenues as the contracts are cash settled. Unrealized gains or losses on fair value changes of unsettled contracts are included in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on fair value changes can be found in Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Market Optimization Revenues
Market Optimization product revenues relate to activities that provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. Ovintiv also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 4,107 | $ | 3,043 |
2022 versus 2021
Market Optimization product revenues increased $1,064 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($1,104 million) and higher sales of third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($151 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower sales of third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($191 million). |
Sublease Revenues
Sublease revenues primarily include amounts related to the sublease of office space in The Bow office building recorded in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on office sublease income can be found in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating Expenses
Production, Mineral and Other Taxes
Production, mineral and other taxes include production and property taxes. Production taxes are generally assessed as a percentage of oil, NGLs and natural gas production revenues. Property taxes are generally assessed based on the value of the underlying assets.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 401 | $ | 278 | $ | 3.72 | $ | 2.54 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 14 | 15 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.18 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 415 | $ | 293 | $ | 2.23 | $ | 1.51 |
2022 versus 2021
Production, mineral and other taxes increased $122 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher production tax in USA Operations due to higher commodity prices ($116 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | The sale of Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($9 million). |
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Transportation and Processing
Transportation and processing expense includes transportation costs incurred to move product from production points to sales points including gathering, compression, pipeline tariffs, trucking and storage costs. Ovintiv also incurs costs related to processing provided by third parties or through ownership interests in processing facilities.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 626 | $ | 507 | $ | 5.80 | $ | 4.64 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,002 | 937 | $ | 12.80 | $ | 10.97 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Transportation and Processing | 1,628 | 1,444 | $ | 8.75 | $ | 7.42 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 158 | 172 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,786 | $ | 1,616 |
2022 versus 2021
Transportation and processing expense increased $170 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher variable contract rates in Permian, Uinta, Anadarko and Bakken due to higher commodity prices ($88 million), higher gas volumes in Montney, Permian and Bakken ($44 million), higher downstream transport costs in Montney ($44 million), higher flow-through rates resulting from increased third-party plant operating costs and turnarounds, as well as higher capital fees in Montney ($38 million), higher costs relating to the diversification of the Company’s U.S. downstream markets ($14 million) and higher oil volumes in Uinta ($13 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($34 million), the sales of Eagle Ford and Duvernay assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($18 million), and expired contracts relating to previously divested assets ($13 million). |
Operating
Operating expense includes costs paid by the Company, net of amounts capitalized, on oil and natural gas properties in which Ovintiv has a working interest. These costs primarily include labor, service contract fees, chemicals, fuel, water hauling, electricity and workovers.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 646 | $ | 490 | $ | 5.99 | $ | 4.48 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 127 | 111 | $ | 1.62 | $ | 1.27 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Operating Expense (1) | 773 | 601 | $ | 4.15 | $ | 3.07 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 29 | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | - | (1 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 802 | $ | 625 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Upstream Operating Expense per BOE for 2022 includes long-term incentive costs of $0.16/BOE (2021 - long-term incentive costs of $0.13/BOE). |
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2022 versus 2021
Operating expense increased $177 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Inflationary pressures as a result of the higher commodity price environment and increased activity relating to discretionary workovers ($199 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | The sales of Eagle Ford and Duvernay assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($26 million). |
Additional information on the Company’s long-term incentive costs can be found in Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchased Product
Purchased product expense includes purchases of oil, NGLs and natural gas from third parties that are used to provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. Ovintiv also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 4,055 | $ | 2,951 |
2022 versus 2021
Purchased product expense increased $1,104 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($1,131 million) and higher third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($150 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($177 million). |
Depreciation, Depletion & Amortization
Proved properties within each country cost center are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves as discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Depletion rates are impacted by impairments, acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange rates, as well as fluctuations in 12-month average trailing prices which affect proved reserves volumes. Corporate assets are carried at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the assets.
Additional information can be found under Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of this MD&A.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 861 | $ | 837 | $ | 7.98 | $ | 7.65 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 235 | 332 | $ | 3.01 | $ | 3.89 | |||||||||||
| Upstream DD&A | 1,096 | 1,169 | $ | 5.89 | $ | 6.00 | |||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 17 | 21 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,113 | $ | 1,190 |
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2022 versus 2021
DD&A decreased $77 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower depletion rates in the Canadian Operations ($58 million), lower production volumes in the Canadian and USA Operations ($27 million and $11 million, respectively) and a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($11 million); |
partially offset by;
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher depletion rates in the USA Operations ($36 million). |
The depletion rate in the USA Operations increased $0.33 per BOE compared to 2021 primarily due to a higher depletable base. The depletion rate in the Canadian Operations decreased $0.88 per BOE compared to 2021 primarily due to higher reserve volumes.
Administrative
Administrative expense represents costs associated with corporate functions provided by Ovintiv staff. Costs primarily include salaries and benefits, building/operating leases, office, information technology, restructuring and long-term incentive costs.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative, excluding Long-Term Incentive Costs, | |||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring and Legal Costs, and Current | |||||||||||||||||
| Expected Credit Losses (1) | $ | 258 | $ | 300 | $ | 1.39 | $ | 1.55 | |||||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 164 | 107 | 0.88 | 0.55 | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring and legal costs | 1 | 34 | - | 0.17 | |||||||||||||
| Current expected credit losses | (1 | ) | 1 | - | - | ||||||||||||
| Total Administrative | $ | 422 | $ | 442 | $ | 2.27 | $ | 2.27 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes costs related to The Bow office lease of $116 million (2021 - $117 million), half of which is recovered from sublease revenues. |
2022 versus 2021
Administrative expense decreased $20 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower legal, building lease, consulting, and office and travel costs ($18 million, $16 million, $13 million and $7 million, respectively) and a decrease in restructuring costs ($15 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher long-term incentive costs mainly due to higher settlement prices related to cash-settled compensation plans during the first quarter of 2022 and the increase in the Company’s share price compared to 2021 ($57 million). |
Additional information on the Company’s long-term incentive costs can be found in Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other (Income) Expenses
| ($ millions) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest | $ | 311 | $ | 340 | ||||
| Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net | 15 | (23 | ) | |||||
| Other (Gains) Losses, Net | (33 | ) | (37 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | $ | 293 | $ | 280 |
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Interest
Interest expense primarily includes interest on Ovintiv’s long-term debt. Additional information on changes in interest can be found in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2022 versus 2021
Interest expense decreased $29 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Interest savings related to the redemption of certain senior notes in 2021 and 2022 ($54 million), and the acceleration of the fair value amortization related to the early redemption of the Company’s 2024 senior notes in June 2022 of $30 million; |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | A make-whole interest payment of $47 million resulting from the early redemption of the Company’s 2024 senior notes in June 2022, compared to a make-whole interest payment of $19 million resulting from the early redemption of the Company’s 2022 senior notes in June 2021, and premiums of $22 million related to the Company’s open market repurchases in 2022. |
Additional information on the early debt redemption and open market repurchases can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A.
Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net
Foreign exchange gains and losses primarily result from the impact of fluctuations in the Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate. Additional information on changes in foreign exchange gains or losses can be found in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information on foreign exchange rates and the effects of foreign exchange rate changes can be found in Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2022 versus 2021
Net foreign exchange loss of $15 million compared to a gain of $23 million in 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Realized foreign exchange losses on the settlement of U.S. dollar risk management contracts and U.S. dollar financing debt issued from Canada compared to gains in 2021 ($38 million and $16 million, respectively); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Gains on monetary revaluations compared to 2021 ($12 million) and lower unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada ($6 million). |
Other (Gains) Losses, Net
Other (gains) losses, net, primarily includes other non-recurring revenues or expenses and may also include items such as interest income, interest received from tax authorities, reclamation charges relating to decommissioned assets, government stimulus programs and adjustments related to other assets.
Other gains in 2022 includes interest income of $25 million (2021 - $14 million) primarily associated with the resolution of prior years’ tax items.
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Income Tax
| ($ millions) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | 10 | $ | (156 | ) | |||
| Deferred Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | (87 | ) | (21 | ) | ||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | (77 | ) | $ | (177 | ) | ||
| Effective Tax Rate | (2.2% | ) | (14.3% | ) |
Income Tax Expense (Recovery)
2022 versus 2021
In 2022, Ovintiv recorded a lower income tax recovery of $100 million compared to 2021, primarily due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items recognized in 2021 and changes in valuation allowances.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, a valuation allowance of $1,299 million was reversed, of which $1,028 million was recognized as a result of positive earnings in the U.S. and Canada. Deferred income tax assets are routinely assessed for realizability, and consequently, after weighing both positive and negative evidence, the Company reversed an additional $271 million of the valuation allowance primarily due to positive forecasted earnings in the U.S. During the year ended December 31, 2021, a valuation allowance reversal of $558 million was recognized as a result of positive earnings in the U.S. and Canada.
Effective Tax Rate
The Company’s annual effective income tax rate is primarily impacted by earnings, changes in valuation allowances, income tax related to foreign operations, state taxes, amounts in respect of prior periods, the effect of legislative changes, non-taxable items and tax differences on transactions.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (2.2) percent for 2022, which is lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to reductions in valuation allowances offset by certain non-taxable items.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (14.3) percent for 2021, which was lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items and changes in valuation allowances.
The determination of income and other tax liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries requires interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws and regulations, that are subject to change. The Company’s interpretation of tax laws may differ from the interpretation of the tax authorities. As a result, there are tax matters under review for which the timing of resolution is uncertain. The Company believes that the provision for income taxes is adequate.
Additional information on income taxes can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
The Company has the flexibility to access cash equivalents and a range of funding alternatives at competitive rates through committed revolving credit facilities as well as debt and equity capital markets. Ovintiv closely monitors the accessibility of cost-effective credit and ensures that sufficient liquidity is in place to fund capital expenditures and dividend payments. In addition, the Company may use cash and cash equivalents, cash from operating activities, or proceeds from asset divestitures to fund its operations and capital allocation framework or to manage its capital structure as discussed below.
The Company’s capital structure consists of total shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including any current portion. The Company’s objectives when managing its capital structure are to maintain financial flexibility to preserve Ovintiv’s access to capital markets and its ability to meet financial obligations and finance internally generated growth, as well as potential acquisitions. Ovintiv has a practice of maintaining capital discipline and strategically managing its capital structure by adjusting capital spending, adjusting dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new shares of common stock, purchasing shares of common stock for cancellation or return to treasury, issuing new debt and repaying or repurchasing existing debt.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $ | 5 | $ | 195 | |||
| Available Credit Facilities (1) | 3,500 | 4,000 | |||||
| Available Uncommitted Demand Lines (2) | 195 | 300 | |||||
| Issuance of U.S. Commercial Paper | (393 | ) | - | ||||
| Total Liquidity | $ | 3,307 | $ | 4,495 | |||
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 3,570 | $ | 4,786 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity (3) | $ | 7,689 | $ | 5,074 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization (%) (4) | 32 | 49 | |||||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization (%) (5) | 19 | 27 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | 2022 includes available credit facilities of $2.2 billion in the U.S. and $1.3 billion in Canada (2021 - $2.5 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively). |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Includes three uncommitted demand lines totaling $321 million, net of $126 million in related undrawn letters of credit (2021 - $336 million and $36 million, respectively). |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | Shareholders’ Equity reflects the shares of common stock purchased, for cancellation, under the Company’s NCIB program. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (4) | Calculated as long-term debt, including the current portion, divided by shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including the current portion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (5) | A non-GAAP measure which is defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A. |
In March, the Company commenced negotiations to amend and restate its committed revolving credit facilities. Effective April 1, 2022, the Company has access to two committed revolving U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities totaling $3.5 billion, which include a $2.2 billion revolving credit facility for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.3 billion revolving credit facility for a Canadian subsidiary (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). Maturity dates for both credit facilities were extended to July 2026 and the Company has full access to these Credit Facilities. The Credit Facilities provide financial flexibility and allow the Company to fund its operations or capital investment program. At December 31, 2022, there were no outstanding amounts under the revolving Credit Facilities.
During the first quarter of 2022, Ovintiv’s credit rating was upgraded to investment grade by one of its credit rating agencies driven by Ovintiv’s significant debt reductions and improved commodity price assumptions used by the rating agency. All of Ovintiv’s credit ratings are investment grade as at December 31, 2022.
Depending on the Company’s credit rating and market demand, the Company may issue from its two U.S. CP programs, which include a $1.5 billion program for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.0 billion program for a Canadian subsidiary. As at December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $393 million of commercial paper outstanding under its U.S. CP program maturing at various dates with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 5.24 percent, which is supported by the Company’s Credit Facilities.
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The Credit Facilities, uncommitted demand lines, and cash and cash equivalents, net of outstanding commercial paper provide Ovintiv with total liquidity of approximately $3.3 billion. At December 31, 2022, Ovintiv also had approximately $126 million in undrawn letters of credit issued in the normal course of business primarily as collateral security related to sales arrangements.
Ovintiv has a U.S. shelf registration statement under which the Company may issue from time to time, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, units, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in the U.S. The U.S. shelf registration statement expires in March 2023 and is intended to be renewed by the Company. The ability to issue securities under the U.S. shelf registration statement is dependent upon market conditions and securities law requirements.
Ovintiv is currently in compliance with, and expects that it will continue to be in compliance with, all financial covenants under the Credit Facilities. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A, as a proxy for Ovintiv’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities, which requires Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. As at December 31, 2022, the Company’s Debt to Adjusted Capitalization was 19 percent. The definitions used in the covenant under the Credit Facilities adjust capitalization for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP. Additional information on financial covenants can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Sources and Uses of Cash
During 2022, Ovintiv primarily generated cash through operating activities. The following table summarizes the sources and uses of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.
| ($ millions) | Activity Type | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | |||||||||
| Cash from operating activities | Operating | $ | 3,866 | $ | 3,129 | ||||
| Proceeds from divestitures | Investing | 228 | 1,025 | ||||||
| Net issuance of revolving long-term debt | Financing | 393 | - | ||||||
| Other | Investing | 103 | - | ||||||
| 4,590 | 4,154 | ||||||||
| Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents | |||||||||
| Capital expenditures | Investing | 1,831 | 1,519 | ||||||
| Acquisitions | Investing | 286 | 11 | ||||||
| Net repayment of revolving long-term debt | Financing | - | 950 | ||||||
| Repayment of long-term debt (1) | Financing | 1,634 | 1,137 | ||||||
| Purchase of shares of common stock | Financing | 719 | 111 | ||||||
| Dividends on shares of common stock | Financing | 239 | 122 | ||||||
| Other | Financing/Investing | 69 | 119 | ||||||
| 4,778 | 3,969 | ||||||||
| Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss) on Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Held in Foreign Currency | (2 | ) | - | ||||||
| Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | $ | (190 | ) | $ | 185 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes open market repurchases in 2022. |
Operating Activities
Net cash from operating activities in 2022 was $3,866 million and was primarily a reflection of the impacts from higher average realized commodity prices, partially offset by the effects of the commodity price mitigation program, lower production volumes and changes in non-cash working capital.
Additional detail on changes in non-cash working capital can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv expects it will continue to meet the payment terms of its suppliers.
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Non-GAAP Cash Flow in 2022 was $4,110 million and was primarily impacted by the items affecting cash from operating activities which are discussed below and in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2022 versus 2021
Net cash from operating activities increased $737 million compared to 2021 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher realized commodity prices ($3,163 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher realized losses on risk management in revenues compared to 2021 ($1,213 million), lower production volumes ($437 million), higher transportation and processing expense ($170 million), higher operating expense, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs ($169 million), current income tax recovery mainly due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items in 2021 of $156 million, changes in non-cash working capital ($146 million) and higher production, mineral and other taxes ($122 million). |
Investing Activities
The Company’s primary investing activities are capital expenditures, acquisitions and divestitures, and are summarized in Notes 2 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2022 and 2021
Net cash used in investing activities in 2022 was $1,786 million primarily due to capital expenditures. Capital expenditures increased $312 million compared to 2021 due to timing of projects and inflationary cost pressures.
Acquisitions in 2022 were $286 million (2021 - $11 million), which primarily included property purchases in Permian with oil and liquids-rich potential.
Divestitures in 2022 were $228 million, which primarily included the sale of portions of Uinta assets located in northeastern Utah and Bakken assets located in northeastern Montana, as well as certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets.
Divestitures in 2021 were $1,025 million, which primarily included the sale of Eagle Ford assets in south Texas and Duvernay assets in west central Alberta, as well as certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities has been impacted by the Company’s strategic objective to return value to shareholders by repaying or repurchasing existing debt, purchasing shares of common stock and paying dividends.
2022 versus 2021
Net cash used in financing activities in 2022 decreased $151 million compared to 2021. The decrease was primarily due to a net issuance of revolving long-term debt compared to a net repayment in 2021 ($1,343 million), partially offset by increased purchases of shares of common stock under the Company’s NCIB program in 2022 compared to 2021 ($608 million), higher repayment of long-term debt associated with open market repurchases in 2022 and the early redemption of the Company’s 2024 senior notes in June 2022 compared to the early redemptions of the Company’s 2022 and 2021 senior notes in June and August 2021, respectively ($497 million), and an increase in dividend payments in 2022 ($117 million).
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From time to time, Ovintiv may seek to retire or purchase the Company’s outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for other debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, the Company’s liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. In 2022, the Company repurchased in the open market, approximately $565 million in principal, plus accrued interest and premiums, which included a portion of its 5.375 percent senior notes due January 2026, its 6.5 percent senior notes due August 2034, its 6.625 percent senior notes due August 2037, its 6.5 percent senior notes due February 2038 and its 5.15 percent senior notes due November 2041. The Company paid premiums of $22 million to complete the open market repurchases.
In June 2022, Ovintiv redeemed its $1.0 billion, 5.625 percent senior notes due July 1, 2024, with cash on hand and other existing sources of liquidity. The redemption resulted in a make-whole interest payment of $47 million.
The Company’s long-term debt, including the current portion of $393 million, totaled $3,570 million at December 31, 2022. The Company’s long-term debt at December 31, 2021 totaled $4,786 million. As at December 31, 2022, the Company has no fixed rate long-term debt due until 2026 and beyond.
In support of the Company’s commitment to unlocking shareholder value, Ovintiv utilizes its capital allocation framework to increase returns to shareholders and maintain the Company’s progress on debt reduction. Since the end of 2020, the Company reduced its total long-term debt balance by $3.3 billion. On July 6, 2022, Ovintiv elected to accelerate the increase in cash returns to shareholders as a result of the Company’s continued strong financial performance and the asset sales that closed during the third quarter of 2022. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company increased its cash return to shareholders from 25 percent to 50 percent of Non-GAAP Cash Flow in excess of capital expenditures and base dividends. Ovintiv delivered the additional shareholder returns through share buybacks under its NCIB program.
For additional information on long-term debt, refer to Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Dividends
The Company pays quarterly dividends to common shareholders at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Payments | $ | 239 | $ | 122 | |||
| Dividend Payments ($/share) | $ | 0.95 | $ | 0.4675 |
On February 27, 2023, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock payable on March 31, 2023 to common shareholders of record as of March 15, 2023.
Dividends increased $117 million compared to 2021, as a result of Ovintiv increasing its quarterly dividend payments to an annualized dividend of $0.80 per share of common stock during the first quarter of 2022 and a further increase to an annualized dividend of $1.00 per share of common stock in the second quarter of 2022. The dividend increases reflect the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
On September 28, 2022, the Company announced it had received regulatory approval for the renewal of its NCIB program, that enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation or return to treasury, up to approximately 24.8 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 3, 2022 to October 2, 2023. The number of shares authorized for purchase represents approximately 10 percent of Ovintiv’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock as at September 19, 2022. The Company will continue to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework.
During 2022, the Company purchased for cancellation, approximately 14.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $719 million.
For additional information on the NCIB, refer to Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Material Cash Requirements
Ovintiv’s material cash requirements include various contractual obligations arising from long-term debt, operating leases, risk management liabilities and asset retirement obligations which are recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company expects to fund long term material cash requirements primarily with cash from operating activities.
Interest payments include scheduled cash payments on finance leases, long-term debt, and other obligations. Additional information can be found in Notes 13 and 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating leases include drilling rigs, compressors, office and buildings, certain land easements and various equipment utilized in the development and production of oil, NGLs and natural gas, as well as The Bow building. The Company subleased approximately 50 percent of The Bow office space under the lease agreement. Additional information on leases can be found in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risk management liabilities represent Ovintiv’s net liability positions with counterparties. Ovintiv expects to significantly decrease its risk management positions in 2023 as a result of the Company’s strengthened balance sheet position. Additional information can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contractual commitments relating to transportation and processing commitments, and drilling and field services can be found in Notes 13 and 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further to the commitments discussed above, Ovintiv also has various obligations that become payable if certain future events occur relating to take or pay arrangements and guarantees on transportation commitments resulting from completed property divestitures as described in Notes 19, 24 and 26, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In addition, the Company has obligations to fund the disposal of long-lived assets upon their abandonment as well as its obligations to fund its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans as described in Notes 16 and 22, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other than the items discussed above, there are no other transactions, arrangements, or relationships with unconsolidated entities or persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
Contingencies
For information on contingencies, refer to Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. For a discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ from these estimates. Management considers the following to be its most critical accounting estimates that involve judgment. The following discussion outlines the accounting policies and practices involving the use of estimates that are critical to determining Ovintiv’s financial results. Changes in the estimates and assumptions discussed below could materially affect the amount or timing of the financial results of the Company.
| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates As Ovintiv follows full cost accounting for oil, NGLs and natural gas activities, reserves estimates are a key input to the Company’s depletion, gain or loss on divestitures and ceiling test impairment calculations. In addition, these reserves are the basis for the Company’s supplemental oil and gas disclosures. | Due to the inter-relationship of various judgments made to reserve estimates and the volatile nature of commodity prices, it is generally not possible to predict the timing or magnitude of ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv estimates its proved oil and natural gas reserves according to the definition of proved reserves provided by the SEC. The Company’s estimates of proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data as well as production performance data and must demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be economically producible in future periods from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. The estimation of reserves is a subjective process. | Revisions to reserve estimates are necessary due to changes in and among other things, development plans, projected future rates of production, the timing of future expenditures, reservoir performance, economic conditions, governmental restrictions as well as changes in the expected recovery associated with infill drilling, all of which are subject to numerous uncertainties and various interpretations. Downward revisions in proved reserve estimates due to changes in reserve estimates may increase depletion expense and may also result in a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Reserves are calculated using an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements. | Decreases in prices may result in reductions in certain proved reserves due to reaching economic limits at an earlier projected date and impact earnings through depletion expense and ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs as it gives consideration to probable and possible reserves and future changes in commodity prices. | Ovintiv believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. | |
| Goodwill Impairments Goodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in December, at the reporting unit level which are Ovintiv’s country cost centers. To assess impairment, the carrying amount of each reporting unit is determined and compared to the fair value of each respective reporting unit. Any excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, over its fair value is recognized as an impairment and charged to net earnings. The impairment charge measured is limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Subsequent measurement of goodwill is at cost less any accumulated impairments. | The most significant assumptions used to determine a reporting unit’s fair value include estimations of oil and natural gas reserves, including both proved reserves and risk-adjusted unproved reserves, estimates of market prices considering forward commodity price curves as of the measurement date, market discount rates and estimates of operating, administrative, and capital costs adjusted for inflation. In addition, management may support fair value estimates determined with comparable companies that are actively traded in the public market, recent comparable asset transactions, and transaction premiums. This would require management to make certain judgments about the selection of comparable companies utilized. | |
| Because quoted market prices for the Company’s reporting units are not available, management applies judgment in determining the estimated fair value of reporting units for purposes of performing goodwill impairment tests. Ovintiv may use a combination of the income and the market valuation approaches. | Downward revisions of estimated reserves quantities, increases in future cost estimates, sustained decreases in oil or natural gas prices, or divestiture of a significant component of the reporting unit could reduce expected future cash flows and fair value estimates of the reporting units and possibly result in an impairment of goodwill in future periods. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| The Company has assessed its goodwill for impairment at December 31, 2022 and no impairment was recognized. The reporting units’ fair values were substantially in excess of the carrying values and as a result were not at risk of failing the impairment test as at December 31, 2022. | ||
| Asset Retirement Obligation Asset retirement obligations are those legal obligations where the Company will be required to retire tangible long-lived assets such as producing well sites, processing plants, and restoring land at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. The fair value of estimated asset retirement obligations is recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet when incurred and a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The asset retirement cost, equal to the initially estimated fair value of the asset retirement obligation, is capitalized as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the estimated obligation are recognized as a change in the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost. Actual expenditures incurred are charged against the accumulated asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. | Asset removal technologies and costs are constantly changing, as are regulatory, political, environmental, safety, and public relations considerations. The asset retirement obligation is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows of the settlement. The discounted cash flows are based on estimates of such factors as reserves lives, retirement costs, timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and inflation rates. Changes in these estimates impact net earnings through accretion of the asset retirement obligation in addition to depletion of the asset retirement cost included in property, plant and equipment. | |
| Derivative Financial Instruments Ovintiv uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks relating to commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company’s policy is not to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Realized gains or losses from financial derivatives are recognized in net earnings as the contracts are settled. Unrealized gains and losses are recognized in net earnings at the end of each respective reporting period based on the changes in fair value of the contracts. Derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. Fair value estimates are determined using quoted prices in active markets, inferred based on market prices of similar assets and liabilities or valued using internally developed estimates. The Company may use various valuation techniques including the discounted cash flow or option valuation models. | Ovintiv’s derivative financial instruments primarily relate to commodities including oil, NGLs and natural gas. The most significant assumptions used in determining the fair value to the Company’s commodity derivatives financial instruments include estimates of future commodity prices, implied volatilities of commodity prices, discount rates and estimates of counterparty credit risk. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to the period of the contract and market volatility as well as regional price differentials. These inputs may also be observable and corroborated by market data or unobservable and sourced from limited market activity, internally generated estimates or corroborated by third parties. Changes in these estimates and assumptions can impact net earnings, revenues and expenses. | |
| As Ovintiv has chosen not to elect hedge accounting treatment for the Company’s derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments can have a significant impact on Ovintiv’s results of operations. Generally, changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments do not impact the Company’s liquidity or capital resources. Settlements of derivative financial instruments do have an impact on the Company’s liquidity and results of operation. | ||
| Income Taxes Ovintiv follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of any temporary difference between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability, using the enacted income tax rates and laws expected to apply when the assets are realized and liabilities are settled. Current income taxes are measured at the amount expected to be recoverable from or payable to the taxing authorities based on the income tax rates and laws enacted at the end of the reporting period. The effect of a change in the enacted tax rates or laws is recognized in net earnings in the period of enactment. | Tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and potential Treasury Department guidance, in the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate are subject to change and interpretation. As such, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty and the interpretations can impact net earnings through the income tax expense arising from the changes in deferred income tax assets or liabilities. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Deferred income tax assets are assessed routinely for realizability. If it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets. | Ovintiv considers available positive and negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, including historic and expected future taxable earnings, available tax planning strategies and carry forward periods. Numerous judgments and assumptions are inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions, particularly related to oil and natural gas prices. As a result, the assumptions used in determining expected future taxable earnings are consistent with those used in the goodwill impairment assessment. | |
| Ovintiv’s interim income tax expense is determined using an estimated annual effective income tax rate applied to year-to-date net earnings before income tax plus the effect of legislative changes and amounts in respect of prior periods. | The estimated annual effective income tax rate is impacted by expected annual earnings, changes in valuation allowances, state taxes, income tax related to foreign operations, the effect of legislative changes, and tax differences on divestitures and transactions. | |
| Ovintiv recognizes the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. A recognized tax position is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. Liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to be settled within the next 12 months are included in other liabilities and provisions. | The Company routinely assesses potential uncertain tax positions and, if required, establishes accruals for such amounts. The accruals are adjusted based on changes in facts and circumstances. Material changes to Ovintiv’s income tax accruals may occur in the future based on the progress of ongoing audits, changes in legislation or resolution of pending matters. | |
| The Company is required to assess whether the unremitted earnings from its Canadian subsidiaries are considered to be permanently reinvested. Changes in repatriation plans are evaluated based on the specific facts and circumstances to determine how those changes affect the recognition and measurement of income tax liabilities and whether those changes in plans affect Ovintiv’s ongoing assertions related to the indefinite reinvestment of basis differences. If the indefinite reinvestment assertion can no longer be made, a deferred tax liability is generally required for a book-over-tax outside basis difference attributable to the foreign subsidiaries. | During the year ended December 31, 2022, Ovintiv concluded that a portion of the previously unremitted earnings from its foreign subsidiaries is no longer considered to be permanently reinvested. As a result of this change in assertion, the Company recorded a nominal deferred income tax liability on the undistributed earnings that were previously considered permanently reinvested. The Company has a taxable temporary difference of approximately $339 million in respect of unremitted earnings that continue to be permanently reinvested for which a deferred income tax liability of $17 million has not been recognized and becomes subject to taxation upon the remittance of dividends. The deferred tax liability considers U.S. federal, state and foreign withholding tax implications. | |
| Contingent Liabilities Ovintiv is subject to various legal proceedings, environmental remediation, commercial and regulatory claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable, except for contingencies acquired in a business combination which are recorded at fair value at the time of the acquisition. If a loss is probable but the Company cannot estimate a specific amount for that loss, the best estimate within the range is accrued and if no amount is better within the range, the minimum amount is accrued. | The establishment and evaluation of a contingent loss is based on advice from legal counsel, advisors or consultants and management’s judgement. Actual costs can vary from such estimates for various reasons including: i) differing interpretation of the law, opinions on responsibility and assessments on the amount of damages; ii) changes in status of litigation or claims and information available; iii) differing interpretation of regulations by regulators or the courts; iv) changes in laws and regulations; and v) additional or developing information relating to extent and nature of environmental remediation and technology improvements. The Company continually monitors known and potential legal, environmental and other claims or contingencies based on available information. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently foreseeable could result in the actual liabilities recorded exceeding the estimated amounts accrued. |
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Non-GAAP Measures
Certain measures in this document do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by U.S. GAAP and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. These measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry and by Ovintiv to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Non-GAAP measures include: Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Non-GAAP Total Costs, Debt to Adjusted Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA. Management’s use of these measures is discussed further below.
Cash from Operating Activities and Non-GAAP Cash Flow
Non-GAAP Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as cash from (used in) operating activities excluding net change in other assets and liabilities, and net change in non-cash working capital.
Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operating and financial performance across periods and against other companies in the industry, and is an indication of the Company’s ability to generate cash to finance capital investment programs, to service debt and to meet other financial obligations. This measure is used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash From (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 3,866 | $ | 3,129 | ||||
| (Add back) deduct: | ||||||||
| Net change in other assets and liabilities | (57 | ) | (39 | ) | ||||
| Net change in non-cash working capital | (187 | ) | (41 | ) | ||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow | $ | 4,110 | $ | 3,209 |
Total Operating Expenses and Non-GAAP Total Costs
Non-GAAP Total Costs is a non-GAAP measure which includes the summation of production, mineral and other taxes, upstream transportation and processing expense, upstream operating expense and administrative expense, excluding the impact of long-term incentive, restructuring and legal costs, and current expected credit losses. It is calculated as total operating expenses excluding non-upstream operating costs and non-cash items which include operating expenses from the Market Optimization, and Corporate and Other segments, depreciation, depletion and amortization, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, long-term incentive, restructuring and legal costs, and current expected credit losses. When presented on a per BOE basis, Non-GAAP Total Costs is divided by production volumes. Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operational efficiency across periods.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Operating Expenses | $ | 8,611 | $ | 7,139 | ||||
| Deduct (add back): | ||||||||
| Market optimization operating expenses | 4,242 | 3,148 | ||||||
| Corporate & other operating expenses | - | (1 | ) | |||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,113 | 1,190 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 18 | 22 | ||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 193 | 132 | ||||||
| Restructuring and legal costs | 1 | 34 | ||||||
| Current expected credit losses | (1 | ) | 1 | |||||
| Non-GAAP Total Costs | $ | 3,045 | $ | 2,613 | ||||
| Divided by: | ||||||||
| Production Volumes (MMBOE) | 186.2 | 194.9 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Total Costs ($/BOE) (1) | $ | 16.36 | $ | 13.42 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Calculated using whole dollars and volumes. |
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Debt to Capitalization and Debt to Adjusted Capitalization
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization is a non-GAAP measure which adjusts capitalization for historical ceiling test impairments that were recorded as at December 31, 2011. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization as a proxy for the Company’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities which require Debt to Adjusted Capitalization to be less than 60 percent. Adjusted Capitalization includes debt, total shareholders’ equity and an equity adjustment for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded as at December 31, 2011 in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including current portion) | $ | 3,570 | $ | 4,786 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 7,689 | 5,074 | |||||
| Capitalization | $ | 11,259 | $ | 9,860 | |||
| Debt to Capitalization | 32% | 49% | |||||
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including current portion) | $ | 3,570 | $ | 4,786 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 7,689 | 5,074 | |||||
| Equity Adjustment for Impairments at December 31, 2011 | 7,746 | 7,746 | |||||
| Adjusted Capitalization | $ | 19,005 | $ | 17,606 | |||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization | 19% | 27% |
Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Debt to EBITDA and Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. EBITDA is defined as trailing 12-month net earnings (loss) before income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, and interest. Adjusted EBITDA is EBITDA adjusted for impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, unrealized gains/losses on risk management, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on divestitures and other gains/losses.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of financial leverage and the Company’s ability to service its debt and other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain financial performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2022 | December 31, 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt (Long-Term Debt, including current portion) | $ | 3,570 | $ | 4,786 | ||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 3,637 | 1,416 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,113 | 1,190 | ||||||
| Interest | 311 | 340 | ||||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | (77 | ) | (177 | ) | ||||
| EBITDA | $ | 4,984 | $ | 2,769 | ||||
| Debt to EBITDA (times) | 0.7 | 1.7 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 3,637 | 1,416 | ||||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,113 | 1,190 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 18 | 22 | ||||||
| Interest | 311 | 340 | ||||||
| Unrealized (gains) losses on risk management | (741 | ) | 488 | |||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | 15 | (23 | ) | |||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (33 | ) | (37 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | (77 | ) | (177 | ) | ||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 4,243 | $ | 3,219 | ||||
| Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (times) | 0.8 | 1.5 |
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001564590-22-006978.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The MD&A is intended to provide a narrative description of the Company’s business from management’s perspective which includes an overview of Ovintiv’s consolidated 2021 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 results. This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes for the year ended December 31, 2021 (“Consolidated Financial Statements”), which are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Discussion and analysis of 2019 results and year-over-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019 results that are not included in this Form 10-K, and can be found in Item 7 of the 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Common industry terms and abbreviations are used throughout this MD&A and are defined in the Definitions, Conversions and Conventions sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This MD&A includes the following sections:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Executive Overview |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Results of Operations |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Liquidity and Capital Resources |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Accounting Policies and Estimates |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Non-GAAP Measures |
Executive Overview
Strategy
Ovintiv is a leading North American energy producer that is focused on developing its multi-basin portfolio of oil, NGLs and natural gas producing plays as part of its strategy outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv is committed to growing long-term shareholder value by delivering on its strategic priorities through execution excellence, disciplined capital allocation, commercial acumen and risk management, while driving environmental, social and governance progress. The Company’s strategy is founded on its multi-basin portfolio of top tier assets, financial strength, as well as its core and foundational values.
In support of the Company’s commitment to growing shareholder value, Ovintiv implemented a capital allocation framework in 2021 that outlines increasing returns to shareholders as well as continuing the Company’s progress on debt reduction.
Ovintiv is delivering results in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. Thoughtfully developed best practices are deployed across its assets, allowing the Company to capitalize on operational efficiencies and decrease emissions intensity. The Company’s sustainability reporting, which outlines its key metrics and progress achieved relating to ESG practices can be found on the Company’s website.
Ovintiv continually reviews and evaluates its strategy and changing market conditions in order to maximize cash flow generation from its Core Assets located in some of the best plays in North America. As at December 31, 2021, the Core Assets comprised Permian and Anadarko in the U.S., and Montney in Canada. These Core Assets form a multi-basin portfolio of oil, NGLs and natural gas producing plays enabling flexible and efficient investment of capital that support the Company’s strategy.
Underpinning Ovintiv’s strategy are core values of one, agile, innovative and driven, which guide the organization to be collaborative, responsive, flexible and determined. The Company is committed to excellence with a passion to drive corporate financial performance and succeed as a team.
For additional information on reporting segments and the plays in which the Company operates, refer to Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information on the segmented results, refer to Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In evaluating its operations and assessing its leverage, Ovintiv reviews performance-based measures such as Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Non-GAAP Cash Flow Margin, Total Costs and debt-based metrics such as Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Net Debt and Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which are non-GAAP measures and do not have any standardized meaning under U.S. GAAP. These measures may not be similar to measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. Additional information regarding these measures, including reconciliations to the closest GAAP measure, can be found in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Highlights
During 2021, the Company focused on executing its 2021 capital plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, delivering cash from operating activities and using excess cash flows to reduce total long-term debt. Higher upstream product revenues in 2021 compared to 2020 resulted from higher average realized prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities. Increases in average realized natural gas and liquids prices of 91 percent and 90 percent, respectively, were primarily due to higher benchmark prices. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.
The Company continued to deliver significant cash from operating activities while reducing its total long-term debt balance. Cash from operating activities of $3,129 million included a net realized loss of $1,362 million on the settlement of commodity and foreign exchange risk management positions and a current income tax recovery of $156 million primarily due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items. The Company used excess cash flows to reduce its total long-term debt balance by $2.1 billion in 2021.
Significant Developments
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On April 28, 2021, the Company closed the sale of its previously announced Duvernay assets and received proceeds of approximately $238 million, after closing and other adjustments. The transaction had an effective date of January 1, 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On May 19, 2021, the Company closed the sale of its previously announced Eagle Ford assets and received proceeds of approximately $764 million, after closing and other adjustments. The transaction had an effective date of January 1, 2021. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On May 19, 2021, the Company announced its intention to redeem the Company’s $600 million, 5.75 percent senior notes due January 30, 2022, and its $518 million, 3.90 percent senior notes due November 15, 2021. The senior notes were redeemed on June 18, 2021 and August 16, 2021, respectively. The combined debt redemptions will result in annualized interest savings of over $50 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On July 27, 2021, Ovintiv announced an increase of about 50 percent to its quarterly dividend payment representing an annualized dividend of $0.56 per share of common stock as part of the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On September 9, 2021, Ovintiv announced a new capital allocation framework to support the Company’s strategy of increasing shareholder returns as well as reducing Net Debt. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On September 28, 2021, in conjunction with the new capital allocation framework, Ovintiv announced it received regulatory approval to commence a NCIB that enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation, up to approximately 26 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. During 2021, Ovintiv purchased for cancellation, approximately 3.1 million shares of common stock at an average price of $36.18 per share, for total consideration of approximately $111 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On October 6, 2021, Ovintiv launched its sustainability website, which highlights the Company’s progress on its key ESG metrics and initiatives, and announced several sustainability milestones related to emission reductions, social responsibility, and corporate governance. As of December 31, 2021, the Company exceeded its 33 percent methane emissions intensity reduction target, four years ahead of schedule and reduced its GHG emissions intensity by greater than 20 percent compared to 2019 levels. On February 24, 2022, the Company announced a further GHG emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent compared to 2019 levels, to be achieved by 2030. |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | On February 24, 2022, Ovintiv announced an increase of about 43 percent to its quarterly dividend payment representing an annualized dividend of $0.80 per share of common stock as part of the Company’s commitment to returning capital to shareholders. |
Financial Results
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported net earnings of $1,416 million, including net losses on risk management in revenues of $1,883 million, before tax and a current income tax recovery of $156 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Generated cash from operating activities of $3,129 million, Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $3,209 million and Non‑GAAP Cash Flow Margin of $16.46 per BOE. Cash from operating activities exceeded capital expenditures by $1,610 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Paid dividends of $0.4675 per share of common stock totaling $122 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Had $4.5 billion in total liquidity as at December 31, 2021, which included available credit facilities of $4.0 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $300 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $195 million. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reduced total long-term debt by $2.1 billion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 1.4 times. |
Capital Investment
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Reported total capital spending of $1,519 million, which was in line with the full year 2021 investment plan of $1.5 billion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Directed $1,362 million, or 90 percent, of total capital spending to the Core Assets. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Focused on highly efficient capital activity and short-cycle high margin projects providing flexibility to respond to fluctuations in commodity prices. |
Production
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Produced average liquids volumes of 274.5 Mbbls/d which accounted for 51 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 191.2 Mbbls/d, or 70 percent of total liquids production volumes, was in line with full year 2021 updated guidance of 191.0 Mbbls/d to 194.0 Mbbls/d. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,556 MMcf/d which accounted for 49 percent of total production volumes and was in line with full year 2021 updated guidance of 1,555 MMcf/d to 1,570 MMcf/d. |
Operating Expenses
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Incurred Total Costs in 2021 of $2,613 million, or $13.42 per BOE, an increase of $300 million or $1.82 per BOE compared to 2020. Total Costs is defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A. Significant items in 2021 compared to 2020 impacting Total Costs include: |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Higher upstream transportation and processing expenses of $162 million, primarily due to higher production volumes in Montney ($95 million) and a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($55 million); and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| o | Higher production, mineral and other taxes of $120 million, primarily due to higher commodity prices. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Total Operating Expenses in 2021 of $7,139 million decreased by $4,345 million primarily due to the non-cash ceiling test impairments of $5,580 million recognized in 2020. |
Additional information on Total Costs items and Total Operating Expenses above can be found in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
53
2022 Outlook
Industry Outlook
Oil Markets
The oil and gas industry is cyclical and commodity prices are inherently volatile. Oil prices reflect global supply and demand dynamics as well as the geopolitical and macroeconomic environment.
In 2021, OPEC+ production cuts and increased global demand for oil resulted in upward pressures on oil prices and the tightening of global oil inventories. Oil prices during 2022 will continue to be impacted by the global containment of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”), pace of economic recovery, OPEC+ production levels, and the potential for higher U.S. production.
COVID-19 vaccine rollout/uptake continues to drive optimism, however, emerging COVID-19 variants may impact economic progress while the gradual easing of OPEC+ oil production cuts, the potential for higher U.S. oil production, and macroeconomic risks could contribute to commodity market uncertainty. Since the second quarter of 2021, OPEC+ has gradually increased production in response to increases in oil demand. OPEC+ continues to meet regularly to review the state of global oil supply, demand and inventory levels, and is expected to continue with its planned production increases in 2022.
Natural Gas Markets
Natural gas prices are primarily affected by structural changes in supply and demand as well as deviations from seasonally normal weather. In 2021, supportive weather conditions, limited supply growth from U.S. producers and increased electricity usage contributed to increased drawdowns of natural gas inventory and higher natural gas prices. Natural gas prices in 2022 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between gas production and associated gas from oil production, as well as changes in demand from the power generation sector, changes in export levels of liquified natural gas and impacts from seasonal weather.
Company Outlook
The Company continues to exercise discretion and discipline to optimize capital allocation throughout 2022 as oil demand recovers and the commodity price environment evolves. Ovintiv pursues innovative ways to reduce upstream operating and administrative expenses and expects to benefit from durable cost savings and efficiencies to maximize cash flows.
Markets for crude oil and natural gas are exposed to different price risks and are inherently volatile. While the market price for crude oil tends to move in the same direction as the global market, regional differentials may develop. Natural gas prices may vary between geographic regions depending on local supply and demand conditions. To mitigate price volatility and help sustain revenues, particularly during periods of low commodity prices, the Company enters into derivative financial instruments. As at December 31, 2021, the Company has hedged approximately 80.0 Mbbls/d of expected oil and condensate production and 1,293 MMcf/d of expected natural gas production for 2022. In addition, Ovintiv proactively utilizes transportation contracts to diversify the Company’s sales markets, thereby reducing significant exposure to any given market and regional pricing.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s hedging program can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Capital Investment
The Company plans to spend approximately $1.5 billion on its 2022 capital investment program. The majority of this capital program is expected to be allocated to the Core Assets with a focus on maximizing returns from high margin liquids. In 2022, the Company expects to generate cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
Ovintiv continually strives to improve well performance and lower costs through innovative techniques. Initiatives such as applying Simul-Frac techniques, a process of fracking pairs of wells at the same time instead of a single well, increases operational efficiencies and contributes to well cost savings. Ovintiv's large-scale cube development
54
model utilizes multi-well pads and advanced completion designs to maximize returns and resource recovery from its reservoirs. Ovintiv’s disciplined capital program and continuous innovation create flexibility to allocate capital in changing commodity markets and to maximize cash flows while preserving the long-term value of the Company’s multi-basin portfolio.
Production
Ovintiv is strategically positioned in the current economic environment to maintain a flat liquids production profile while generating cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.
In 2022, the Company expects average oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 180.0 Mbbls/d to 190.0 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 78.0 Mbbls/d to 82.0 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 1,450 MMcf/d to 1,500 MMcf/d.
Operating Expenses
The Company continues to benefit from cost savings measures implemented in 2020 which included workforce reductions and operating efficiencies. With rising activity in the oil and gas industry and the recovery of commodity prices, service and supply costs are expected to increase. Ovintiv continues to pursue innovative ways to reduce upstream operating and administrative expenses, and strives to minimize any inflationary pressures with efficiency improvements and effective supply chain management.
Total Costs per BOE is expected to increase for 2022 primarily due to higher production taxes resulting from expected strengthening of commodity prices and higher transportation and processing costs. For 2022, Ovintiv expects Total Costs of approximately $14.75 per BOE to $15.25 per BOE. Total Costs is defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A.
Long-Term Debt Reduction
Ovintiv remains focused on strengthening its balance sheet. Since the second quarter of 2020, the Company has allocated $2,580 million in excess cash flows to reduce its total long-term debt balance, which included proceeds from the Duvernay and Eagle Ford asset divestitures. The Company expects to achieve its Net Debt balance of $3.0 billion in the second half of 2022, assuming commodity prices of $85.00 per barrel for WTI oil and $4.50 per MMBtu for NYMEX natural gas.
In June 2021, the Company redeemed its $600 million, 5.75 percent senior notes due January 30, 2022, and in August 2021, redeemed its $518 million, 3.90 percent senior notes due November 15, 2021. The combined debt redemptions will result in annualized interest savings of over $50 million.
As at December 31, 2021, the Company had no outstanding balances under its revolving credit facilities and U.S. dollar commercial paper programs.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s long-term debt and liquidity position can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Liquidity and Capital Resources section of this MD&A, respectively.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s 2022 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website at www.ovintiv.com.
Environmental, Social and Governance
Ovintiv recognizes the importance of reducing its environmental footprint and voluntarily participates in emission reduction programs. The Company has adopted a range of strategies to help reduce emissions from its operations. These strategies include incorporating new and proven technologies and optimizing processes in its drilling and completions operations, and working closely with third-party providers to develop best practices. The Company continues to look for innovative techniques and efficiencies to help maintain its commitment to emission reductions.
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As of September 1, 2021, the Company is in alignment with the World Bank Zero Routine Flaring initiative, nine years ahead of the World Bank’s target date of 2030. Ovintiv does not engage in routine flaring by ensuring natural gas gathering infrastructure is in place for all of its producing wells.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company exceeded its targeted 33 percent reduction in methane emissions intensity four years ahead of schedule and achieved a greater than 20 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity compared to 2019 levels. In 2022, the Company announced a further GHG emissions intensity reduction target of 50 percent compared to 2019 levels, to be achieved by 2030. This new emissions reduction target is also tied to its annual compensation program for all employees.
Ovintiv is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. In 2021, the Company developed a new social commitment framework, which is rooted in the Company’s foundational values of integrity, safety, sustainability, trust and respect. The framework focuses on respecting stakeholders, strengthening communities and fostering a culture of inclusion.
Ovintiv remains committed to protecting the health and safety of its workforce. Safety is a foundational value at Ovintiv and plays a critical role in the Company’s belief that a safe workplace is a strong indicator of a well-managed business. This safety-oriented mindset enables the Company to quickly respond to emergencies and minimize any impacts to employees and business continuity. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ovintiv established a Pandemic Response Team to continually assess the impact of COVID-19 and develop protocols and procedures to maintain a safe working environment for its staff. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the Company reported its eighth consecutive safest year in 2021.
Additional information on Ovintiv’s ESG practices are outlined in Items 1 and 2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and on the Company’s sustainability website at https://sustainability.ovintiv.com.
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Results of Operations
Selected Financial Information
| ($ millions) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product and Service Revenues | ||||||||
| Upstream product revenues | $ | 7,420 | $ | 4,044 | ||||
| Market optimization | 3,043 | 1,459 | ||||||
| Service revenues (1) | 5 | 6 | ||||||
| Total Product and Service Revenues | 10,468 | 5,509 | ||||||
| Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | (1,883 | ) | 507 | |||||
| Sublease Revenues | 73 | 71 | ||||||
| Total Revenues | 8,658 | 6,087 | ||||||
| Total Operating Expenses (2) | 7,139 | 11,484 | ||||||
| Operating Income (Loss) | 1,519 | (5,397 | ) | |||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | 280 | 333 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) Before Income Tax | 1,239 | (5,730 | ) | |||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | (177 | ) | 367 | |||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | $ | 1,416 | $ | (6,097 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Service revenues include amounts related to the USA and Canadian Operations. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Total Operating Expenses include non-cash items such as DD&A, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligations and long-term incentive costs. |
Revenues
Ovintiv’s revenues are substantially derived from sales of oil, NGLs and natural gas production. Increases or decreases in Ovintiv’s revenue, profitability and future production are highly dependent on the commodity prices the Company receives. Prices are market driven and fluctuate due to factors beyond the Company’s control, such as supply and demand, seasonality and geopolitical and economic factors. The USA Operations realized prices generally reflect WTI and NYMEX benchmark prices, as well as other downstream oil benchmarks, including Houston. The Canadian Operations realized prices are linked to Edmonton Condensate and AECO, as well as other downstream natural gas benchmarks, including Dawn. The other downstream benchmarks reflect the diversification of the Company’s markets. Recent trends in benchmark prices relevant to the Company are shown in the table below.
Benchmark Prices
| (average for the period) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil & NGLs | |||||||
| WTI ($/bbl) | $ | 67.91 | $ | 39.40 | |||
| Houston ($/bbl) | 68.85 | 41.05 | |||||
| Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | 85.48 | 49.45 | |||||
| Natural Gas | |||||||
| NYMEX ($/MMBtu) | $ | 3.84 | $ | 2.08 | |||
| AECO (C$/Mcf) | 3.56 | 2.24 | |||||
| Dawn (C$/MMBtu) | 4.60 | 2.50 |
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Production Volumes and Realized Prices
| Production Volumes (1) | Realized Prices (2) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 140.0 | 150.9 | $ | 65.69 | $ | 36.84 | ||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 0.3 | 0.6 | 56.71 | 32.58 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 140.3 | 151.5 | 65.67 | 36.83 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 10.5 | 11.1 | 60.18 | 26.68 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 40.4 | 41.0 | 67.11 | 35.87 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 50.9 | 52.1 | 65.68 | 33.92 | ||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 67.5 | 70.3 | 25.66 | 9.52 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 15.8 | 15.0 | 29.45 | 11.53 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 83.3 | 85.3 | 26.38 | 9.87 | ||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d, $/bbl) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 218.0 | 232.3 | 53.04 | 28.09 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 56.5 | 56.6 | 56.48 | 29.40 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 274.5 | 288.9 | 53.75 | 28.34 | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d, $/Mcf) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 490 | 529 | 3.71 | 1.60 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 1,066 | 1,000 | 3.52 | 2.01 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1,556 | 1,529 | 3.58 | 1.87 | ||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d, $/BOE) | ||||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | 299.7 | 320.5 | 44.65 | 23.00 | ||||||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 234.2 | 223.3 | 29.66 | 16.42 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 533.9 | 543.8 | 38.08 | 20.30 | ||||||||||||
| Production Mix (%) | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil & Plant Condensate | 36 | 37 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other | 15 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | 51 | 53 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 49 | 47 | ||||||||||||||
| Production Change – Year Over Year (%) (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs | (5 | ) | (4 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Natural Gas | 2 | (3 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Total Production | (2 | ) | (4 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Core Assets Production | ||||||||||||||||
| Oil (Mbbls/d) | 108.1 | 106.3 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Plant Condensate (Mbbls/d) | 48.8 | 46.3 | ||||||||||||||
| NGLs – Other (Mbbls/d) | 76.2 | 75.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Oil & NGLs (Mbbls/d) | 233.1 | 228.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Natural Gas (MMcf/d) | 1,453 | 1,373 | ||||||||||||||
| Total Production (MBOE/d) | 475.2 | 457.2 | ||||||||||||||
| % of Total Production | 89 | 84 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Average daily. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Average per-unit prices, excluding the impact of risk management activities. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | Includes production impacts of acquisitions and divestitures. |
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Upstream Product Revenues
| ($ millions) | Oil | NGLs - Plant Condensate | NGLs - Other | Natural Gas | Total | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Upstream Product Revenues | $ | 2,042 | $ | 647 | $ | 308 | $ | 1,047 | $ | 4,044 | ||||||||||
| Increase (decrease) due to: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sales prices | 1,477 | 588 | 501 | 966 | 3,532 | |||||||||||||||
| Production volumes | (155 | ) | (17 | ) | (7 | ) | 19 | (160 | ) | |||||||||||
| 2021 Upstream Product Revenues (1) | $ | 3,364 | $ | 1,218 | $ | 802 | $ | 2,032 | $ | 7,416 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Revenues for 2021 exclude certain other revenue and royalty adjustments with no associated production volumes of $4 million. |
Oil Revenues
2021 versus 2020
Oil revenues increased $1,322 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher average realized oil prices of $28.84 per bbl, or 78 percent, increased revenues by $1,477 million. The increase reflected higher WTI and Houston benchmark prices which were up 72 percent and 68 percent, respectively, and the strengthening of regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price in the USA Operations; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average oil production volumes of 11.2 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $155 million. Lower volumes were primarily due to natural declines surpassing incremental production in Eagle Ford, Anadarko and Bakken (11.3 Mbbls/d) and the sale of the Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (8.5 Mbbls/d), partially offset by successful drilling in Permian (5.4 Mbbls/d) and production shut-ins due to the economic downturn in 2020 (2.9 Mbbls/d). |
NGL Revenues
2021 versus 2020
NGL revenues increased $1,065 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher average realized plant condensate prices of $31.76 per bbl, or 94 percent, increased revenues by $588 million. The increase reflected higher Edmonton Condensate and WTI benchmark prices which were up 73 percent and 72 percent, respectively, as well as higher regional pricing relative to the WTI benchmark price; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher average realized other NGL prices of $16.51 per bbl, or 167 percent, increased revenues by $501 million reflecting higher other NGL benchmark prices and higher regional pricing; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average plant condensate production volumes of 1.2 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $17 million. Lower volumes were primarily due to the sales of the Duvernay and Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (2.3 Mbbls/d) and natural declines in Duvernay and Anadarko (2.0 Mbbls/d), partially offset by successful drilling in Montney and Permian (3.0 Mbbls/d); and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower average other NGL production volumes of 2.0 Mbbls/d decreased revenues by $7 million. Lower volumes were primarily due to natural declines in Anadarko and Eagle Ford (4.3 Mbbls/d) and the sale of the Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (2.2 Mbbls/d), partially offset by successful drilling in Montney and Permian (4.0 Mbbls/d). |
59
Natural Gas Revenues
2021 versus 2020
Natural gas revenues increased $985 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher average realized natural gas prices of $1.71 per Mcf, or 91 percent, increased revenues by $966 million. The increase reflected higher NYMEX, Dawn and AECO benchmark prices which were up 85 percent, 84 percent and 59 percent, respectively, and higher regional pricing; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher average natural gas production volumes of 27 MMcf/d increased revenues by $19 million primarily due to successful drilling in Montney (119 MMcf/d), partially offset by natural declines in Anadarko and Duvernay (43 MMcf/d), the sales of the Duvernay and Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 (36 MMcf/d) and increased third-party plant down-time in Montney (10 MMcf/d). |
Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net
As a means of managing commodity price volatility, Ovintiv enters into commodity derivative financial instruments on a portion of its expected oil, NGLs and natural gas production volumes. The Company’s commodity price mitigation program reduces volatility and helps sustain revenues during periods of lower prices. Additional information on the Company’s commodity price positions as at December 31, 2021 can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The following table provides the effects of the Company’s risk management activities on revenues.
| $ millions | Per-Unit | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||||||||||
| Realized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commodity Price (1) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oil ($/bbl) | $ | (737 | ) | $ | 435 | $ | (14.39 | ) | $ | 7.85 | ||||||||
| NGLs - Plant Condensate ($/bbl) | (155 | ) | 133 | $ | (8.35 | ) | $ | 6.97 | ||||||||||
| NGLs - Other ($/bbl) | (131 | ) | (14 | ) | $ | (4.31 | ) | $ | (0.46 | ) | ||||||||
| Natural Gas ($/Mcf) | (373 | ) | 148 | $ | (0.66 | ) | $ | 0.26 | ||||||||||
| Other (2) | 1 | 9 | $ | - | $ | - | ||||||||||||
| Total ($/BOE) | (1,395 | ) | 711 | $ | (7.17 | ) | $ | 3.52 | ||||||||||
| Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Risk Management | (488 | ) | (204 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Total Gains (Losses) on Risk Management, Net | $ | (1,883 | ) | $ | 507 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes realized gains and losses related to the USA and Canadian Operations. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Other primarily includes realized gains or losses from Market Optimization and other derivative contracts with no associated production volumes. |
Ovintiv recognizes fair value changes from its risk management activities each reporting period. The changes in fair value result from new positions and settlements that occur during each period, as well as the relationship between contract prices and the associated forward curves. Realized gains or losses on risk management activities related to commodity price mitigation are included in the USA Operations, Canadian Operations and Market Optimization revenues as the contracts are cash settled. Unrealized gains or losses on fair value changes of unsettled contracts are included in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on fair value changes can be found in Note 24 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Market Optimization Revenues
Market Optimization product revenues relate to activities that provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. Ovintiv also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 3,043 | $ | 1,459 |
2021 versus 2020
Market Optimization product revenues increased $1,584 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($1,490 million) and higher sales of third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($555 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower sales of third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($461 million). |
Sublease Revenues
Sublease revenues primarily include amounts related to the sublease of office space in The Bow office building recorded in the Corporate and Other segment. Additional information on office sublease income can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating Expenses
Production, Mineral and Other Taxes
Production, mineral and other taxes include production and property taxes. Production taxes are generally assessed as a percentage of oil, NGLs and natural gas production revenues. Property taxes are generally assessed based on the value of the underlying assets.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 278 | $ | 158 | $ | 2.54 | $ | 1.34 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 15 | 15 | $ | 0.18 | $ | 0.18 | |||||||||||
| Total | $ | 293 | $ | 173 | $ | 1.51 | $ | 0.87 |
2021 versus 2020
Production, mineral and other taxes increased $120 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher production tax in USA Operations due to higher commodity prices ($144 million), partially offset by the sale of the Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($15 million). |
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Transportation and Processing
Transportation and processing expense includes transportation costs incurred to move product from production points to sales points including gathering, compression, pipeline tariffs, trucking and storage costs. Ovintiv also incurs costs related to processing provided by third parties or through ownership interests in processing facilities.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 507 | $ | 453 | $ | 4.64 | $ | 3.86 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 937 | 829 | $ | 10.97 | $ | 10.12 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Transportation and Processing | 1,444 | 1,282 | $ | 7.42 | $ | 6.44 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 172 | 220 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,616 | $ | 1,502 |
2021 versus 2020
Transportation and processing expense increased $114 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher volumes in Montney ($95 million), a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($57 million), higher variable rates in Permian and Anadarko due to higher natural gas prices ($57 million) and higher costs relating to the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets ($18 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | The expiration of certain transportation contracts in the USA Operations as well as expired contracts relating to previously divested assets ($51 million), the sales of the Eagle Ford and Duvernay assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($40 million), the decommissioning of Deep Panuke ($24 million), lower natural gas volumes in Anadarko ($16 million) and recoveries of amounts related to certain transportation contracts ($7 million). |
Operating
Operating expense includes costs paid by the Company, net of amounts capitalized, on oil and natural gas properties in which the Company has a working interest. These costs primarily include labor, service contract fees, chemicals, fuel, water hauling, electricity and workovers.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 490 | $ | 485 | $ | 4.48 | $ | 4.12 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 111 | 100 | $ | 1.27 | $ | 1.21 | |||||||||||
| Upstream Operating Expense (1) | 601 | 585 | $ | 3.07 | $ | 2.92 | |||||||||||
| Market Optimization | 25 | 22 | |||||||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | (1 | ) | (2 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 625 | $ | 605 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Upstream Operating Expense per BOE for 2021 includes long-term incentive costs of $0.13/BOE (2020 - long-term incentive costs of $0.04/BOE). |
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2021 versus 2020
Operating expense increased $20 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Increased activity resulting from higher production in Permian and improved commodity prices ($32 million), lower capitalization of directly attributable internal costs ($26 million), higher long-term incentive costs resulting from an increase in the Company’s share price in 2021 compared to a decrease in 2020 ($21 million) and a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($7 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | The sales of the Eagle Ford and Duvernay assets in the second quarter of 2021 ($43 million) and lower salaries and benefits due to decreased headcount resulting from workforce reductions in the second quarter of 2020 ($23 million). |
Additional information on the Company’s long-term incentive costs can be found in Note 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchased Product
Purchased product expense includes purchases of oil, NGLs and natural gas from third parties that are used to provide operational flexibility and cost mitigation for transportation commitments, product type, delivery points and customer diversification. The Company also purchases and sells third-party volumes under marketing arrangements associated with the Company’s previous divestitures.
| ($ millions) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Optimization | $ | 2,951 | $ | 1,366 |
2021 versus 2020
Purchased product expense increased $1,585 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher oil and natural gas benchmark prices ($1,451 million) and higher third-party purchased liquids volumes primarily relating to price optimization activities in the USA Operations ($556 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower third-party purchased natural gas volumes primarily relating to marketing arrangements for assets divested in prior years ($422 million). |
Depreciation, Depletion & Amortization
Proved properties within each country cost centre are depleted using the unit-of-production method based on proved reserves as discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Depletion rates are impacted by impairments, acquisitions, divestitures and foreign exchange rates, as well as fluctuations in 12-month average trailing prices which affect proved reserves volumes. Corporate assets are carried at cost and depreciated on a straight-line basis over the estimated service lives of the assets.
Additional information can be found under Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates in the Critical Accounting Estimates section of this MD&A.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| USA Operations | $ | 837 | $ | 1,378 | $ | 7.65 | $ | 11.75 | |||||||||
| Canadian Operations | 332 | 427 | $ | 3.89 | $ | 5.21 | |||||||||||
| Upstream DD&A | 1,169 | 1,805 | $ | 6.00 | $ | 9.06 | |||||||||||
| Corporate & Other | 21 | 29 | |||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,190 | $ | 1,834 |
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2021 versus 2020
DD&A decreased $644 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower depletion rates in the USA and Canadian Operations ($448 million and $144 million, respectively) and lower production volumes in USA Operations ($93 million), partially offset by higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate ($32 million) and higher production volumes in the Canadian Operations ($19 million). |
The depletion rate in the USA Operations decreased $4.10 per BOE compared to 2020 primarily due to the ceiling test impairments recognized in 2020 and the sale of the Eagle Ford assets in the second quarter of 2021. The depletion rate in the Canadian Operations decreased $1.32 per BOE compared to 2020 primarily due to the sale of the Duvernay assets in the second quarter of 2021.
Impairments
Under full cost accounting, the carrying amount of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties within each country cost centre is subject to a ceiling test performed quarterly. Ceiling test impairments are recognized when the capitalized costs, net of accumulated depletion and the related deferred income taxes, exceed the sum of the estimated after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves as calculated under SEC requirements using the 12‑month average trailing prices and discounted at 10 percent. The 12-month average trailing price is calculated as the average of the price on the first day of each month within the trailing 12-month period.
In 2021, the Company did not recognize ceiling test impairments (2020 - $5,580 million before tax, in the USA Operations). The non-cash ceiling test impairments in 2020 primarily resulted from the decline in the 12-month average trailing prices, which reduced proved reserves.
The 12-month average trailing prices used in the ceiling test calculations were based on the benchmark prices below. The benchmark prices were adjusted for basis differentials to determine local reference prices, transportation costs and tariffs, heat content and quality.
| Oil & NGLs | Natural Gas | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WTI ($/bbl) | Edmonton Condensate (C$/bbl) | Henry Hub ($/MMBtu) | AECO (C$/MMBtu) | ||||||||||||
| 12-Month Average Trailing Reserves Pricing (1) | |||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 66.56 | 83.69 | 3.60 | 3.26 | |||||||||||
| 2020 | 39.62 | 49.77 | 1.98 | 2.13 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | All prices were held constant in all future years when estimating net revenues and reserves. |
The Company believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. The discounted after-tax future net cash flows do not consider the fair market value of unamortized unproved properties, or probable or possible liquids and natural gas reserves. In addition, there is no consideration given to the effect of future changes in commodity prices. Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs. Additional information on the ceiling test calculation can be found in Note 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Administrative
Administrative expense represents costs associated with corporate functions provided by Ovintiv staff. Costs primarily include salaries and benefits, operating lease, office, information technology, restructuring and long-term incentive costs.
| $ millions | $/BOE | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Administrative, excluding Long-Term Incentive Costs, | |||||||||||||||||
| Restructuring and Legal Costs, and Current Expected Credit Losses (1) | $ | 300 | $ | 281 | $ | 1.55 | $ | 1.41 | |||||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 107 | 23 | 0.55 | 0.12 | |||||||||||||
| Restructuring and legal costs | 34 | 90 | 0.17 | 0.45 | |||||||||||||
| Current expected credit losses | 1 | 1 | - | - | |||||||||||||
| Total Administrative (2) | $ | 442 | $ | 395 | $ | 2.27 | $ | 1.98 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes costs related to The Bow office lease of $117 million (2020 - $110 million), half of which is recovered from sublease revenues. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Total Administrative costs for 2021 reflects a higher U.S./Canadian dollar exchange rate of $13 million. |
2021 versus 2020
Administrative expense increased $47 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher long-term incentive costs resulting from an increase in the Company’s share price in 2021 compared to a decrease in 2020 ($84 million) and higher legal and consulting costs ($28 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | A decrease in restructuring costs related to workforce reductions in 2020 ($76 million). |
During 2020, the Company completed workforce reductions as part of a company-wide reorganization in response to the low commodity price environment resulting from the global pandemic and the Company’s planned reductions in capital spending. Additional information on restructuring charges and long-term incentive costs can be found in Notes 21 and 22, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other (Income) Expenses
| ($ millions) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interest | $ | 340 | $ | 371 | ||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | (23 | ) | 17 | |||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (37 | ) | (55 | ) | ||||
| Total Other (Income) Expenses | $ | 280 | $ | 333 |
Interest
Interest expense primarily includes interest on Ovintiv’s long-term debt. Additional information on changes in interest can be found in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2021 versus 2020
Interest expense decreased $31 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | The redemption of the Company’s 2021 and 2022 senior notes ($25 million), and open market repurchases of long-term debt completed in 2020 and decreased amounts drawn from the Company’s credit facilities ($21 million); |
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partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | A one-time make-whole interest payment of $19 million resulting from the June 2021 early redemption of the Company’s $600 million, 5.75 percent senior notes due January 30, 2022. |
Foreign Exchange (Gain) Loss, Net
Foreign exchange gains and losses primarily result from the impact of fluctuations in the Canadian to U.S. dollar exchange rate. Additional information on changes in foreign exchange gains or losses can be found in Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information on foreign exchange rates and the effects of foreign exchange rate changes can be found in Item 7A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Following the completion of the corporate reorganization and U.S. domestication in the first quarter of 2020, the U.S. dollar denominated unsecured notes issued by Encana Corporation from Canada were assumed by Ovintiv Inc., a company incorporated in Delaware with a U.S. dollar functional currency. Accordingly, these U.S. dollar denominated unsecured notes, along with certain intercompany notes, no longer attract foreign exchange translation gains or losses.
2021 versus 2020
Net foreign exchange gain was $23 million compared to a loss of $17 million in 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Lower unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of U.S. dollar financing debt issued from Canada compared to 2020 ($50 million), realized foreign exchange gains on the settlement of U.S. dollar risk management contracts and financing debt issued from Canada compared to losses in 2020 ($34 million and $9 million, respectively) and realized foreign exchange gains on the settlement of intercompany notes compared to losses in 2020 ($8 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Unrealized foreign exchange losses on the translation of U.S. dollar risk management contracts issued from Canada compared to gains in 2020 ($33 million) and lower unrealized foreign exchange gains on the translation of intercompany notes ($27 million). |
Other (Gains) Losses, Net
Other (gains) losses, net, primarily includes other non-recurring revenues or expenses and may also include items such as interest income, interest received from tax authorities, transaction costs relating to acquisitions, reclamation charges relating to decommissioned assets, gains on debt repurchases, government stimulus programs and adjustments related to other assets.
Other gains in 2021 includes interest income of $14 million primarily associated with the resolution of prior years’ tax items.
Other gains in 2020 primarily included gains of $30 million relating to the repurchase of the Company’s fixed long-term debt on the open market and interest income of $5 million.
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Income Tax
| ($ millions) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | (156 | ) | $ | (14 | ) | ||
| Deferred Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | (21 | ) | 381 | |||||
| Income Tax Expense (Recovery) | $ | (177 | ) | $ | 367 | |||
| Effective Tax Rate | (14.3% | ) | (6.4% | ) |
Income Tax Expense (Recovery)
2021 versus 2020
In 2021, Ovintiv recorded an income tax recovery of $177 million compared to an income tax expense of $367 million in 2020, primarily due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items and the change in valuation allowances.
Deferred income tax assets are routinely assessed for realizability. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company determined, after weighing both positive and negative evidence, that a valuation allowance should be recorded to reduce the associated deferred tax assets in the U.S. and in Canada. Accordingly, a valuation allowance of $568 million was recognized in Canada related to prior years’ deferred tax assets during the year ended December 31, 2020. As at December 31, 2021, the Company continues to be in a cumulative three-year loss position in both the U.S. and Canada and as such, continues to recognize the valuation allowance against net deferred tax assets. The cumulative three-year losses and uncertainty in the timing as to when the realization of deferred tax assets will occur, is significant negative evidence to overcome, and consequently, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realizable. However, if market conditions continue to improve, it is possible that a portion of the valuation allowance in Canada may be reversed within the next 12 months.
Effective Tax Rate
The Company’s annual effective income tax rate is primarily impacted by earnings, changes in valuation allowances, amounts in respect of prior periods, state taxes, income tax related to foreign operations, the effect of legislative changes, and tax differences on divestitures and transactions.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (14.3) percent for 2021, which is lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items and the change in valuation allowances.
The Company’s effective tax rate was (6.4) percent for 2020, which is lower than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to valuation allowances recorded relating to net losses arising from ceiling test impairments and an increase in the valuation allowance of $568 million in Canada related to prior years’ deferred tax assets.
The determination of income and other tax liabilities of the Company and its subsidiaries requires interpretation of complex domestic and foreign tax laws and regulations, that are subject to change. The Company’s interpretation of tax laws may differ from the interpretation of the tax authorities. As a result, there are tax matters under review for which the timing of resolution is uncertain. The Company believes that the provision for income taxes is adequate.
Additional information on income taxes can be found in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
The Company has the flexibility to access cash equivalents and a range of funding alternatives at competitive rates through committed revolving credit facilities as well as debt and equity capital markets. Ovintiv closely monitors the accessibility of cost-effective credit and ensures that sufficient liquidity is in place to fund capital expenditures and dividend payments. In addition, the Company may use cash and cash equivalents, cash from operating activities, or proceeds from asset divestitures to fund its operations or to manage its capital structure as discussed below. At December 31, 2021, $188 million in cash and cash equivalents was held by Canadian subsidiaries. The cash held by Canadian subsidiaries is accessible and may be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and Canadian withholding taxes if repatriated.
The Company’s capital structure consists of total shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including any current portion. The Company’s objectives when managing its capital structure are to maintain financial flexibility to preserve Ovintiv’s access to capital markets and its ability to meet financial obligations and finance internally generated growth, as well as potential acquisitions. Ovintiv has a practice of maintaining capital discipline and strategically managing its capital structure by adjusting capital spending, adjusting dividends paid to shareholders, issuing new shares of common stock, purchasing shares of common stock for cancellation, issuing new debt and repaying or repurchasing existing debt.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash and Cash Equivalents | $ | 195 | $ | 10 | ||||
| Available Credit Facilities (1) | 4,000 | 3,402 | ||||||
| Available Uncommitted Demand Lines (2) | 300 | 269 | ||||||
| Issuance of U.S. Commercial Paper | - | (352 | ) | |||||
| Total Liquidity | $ | 4,495 | $ | 3,329 | ||||
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 4,786 | $ | 6,885 | ||||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity (3) | $ | 5,074 | $ | 3,837 | ||||
| Debt to Capitalization (%) (4) | 49 | 64 | ||||||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization (%) (5) | 27 | 37 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes available credit facilities of $2.5 billion (2020 - $2.1 billion) in the U.S. and $1.5 billion (2020 - $1.3 billion) in Canada as at December 31, 2021 (collectively, the “Credit Facilities”). |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Includes three uncommitted demand lines totaling $336 million, net of $36 million in related undrawn letters of credit (2020 - $336 million and $67 million, respectively). |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (3) | Shareholders’ Equity reflects the shares of common stock purchased, for cancellation, under the Company’s 2021 NCIB program. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (4) | Calculated as long-term debt, including the current portion, divided by shareholders’ equity plus long-term debt, including the current portion. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (5) | A non-GAAP measure which is defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A. |
The Company has access to two committed revolving U.S. dollar denominated credit facilities totaling $4.0 billion, which include a $2.5 billion revolving credit facility for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility for a Canadian subsidiary, both maturing in July 2024. The Credit Facilities provide financial flexibility and allow the Company to fund its operations or capital program. At December 31, 2021, there were no outstanding amounts under the revolving Credit Facilities and the Company continues to have full access to its Credit Facilities.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, Ovintiv’s credit rating was upgraded to investment grade by one of its credit rating agencies driven by Ovintiv’s significant debt reductions and improved commodity price assumptions used by the rating agency. As a result of the upgrade, most of Ovintiv’s credit ratings are investment grade.
Depending on the Company’s credit rating and market demand, the Company may issue from its two U.S. CP programs, which include a $1.5 billion program for Ovintiv Inc. and a $1.0 billion program for a Canadian subsidiary. As at December 31, 2021, the Company had no commercial paper outstanding under its U.S. CP programs and continues to have full access to its U.S. CP programs.
The Credit Facilities, uncommitted demand lines, and cash and cash equivalents provide Ovintiv with total liquidity of approximately $4.5 billion. At December 31, 2021, Ovintiv also had approximately $36 million in undrawn
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letters of credit issued in the normal course of business primarily as collateral security, related to transportation arrangements and to support future abandonment liabilities.
Ovintiv has a U.S. shelf registration statement and a Canadian shelf prospectus, under which the Company may issue from time to time, debt securities, common stock, preferred stock, warrants, units, share purchase contracts and share purchase units in the U.S. and/or Canada. At December 31, 2021, $6.0 billion remained accessible under the Canadian shelf prospectus. The ability to issue securities under the U.S. shelf registration statement or Canadian shelf prospectus is dependent upon market conditions and securities law requirements.
Ovintiv is currently in compliance with, and expects that it will continue to be in compliance with, all financial covenants under the Credit Facilities. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, which is a non-GAAP measure defined in the Non-GAAP Measures section of this MD&A, as a proxy for Ovintiv’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities, which requires Debt to Adjusted capitalization to be less than 60 percent. As at December 31, 2021, the Company’s Debt to Adjusted Capitalization was 27 percent. The definitions used in the covenant under the Credit Facilities adjust capitalization for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP. Ovintiv does not expect the current COVID-19 pandemic to impact the Company’s ability to remain in compliance with its financial covenants under the Credit Facilities. Additional information on financial covenants can be found in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Sources and Uses of Cash
During 2021, the Company primarily generated cash through operating activities and divestitures. The following table summarizes the sources and uses of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents.
| ($ millions) | Activity Type | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sources of Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | ||||||||||
| Cash from operating activities | Operating | $ | 3,129 | $ | 1,895 | |||||
| Proceeds from divestitures | Investing | 1,025 | 89 | |||||||
| Net issuance of revolving long-term debt | Financing | - | 252 | |||||||
| 4,154 | 2,236 | |||||||||
| Uses of Cash and Cash Equivalents | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | Investing | 1,519 | 1,736 | |||||||
| Acquisitions | Investing | 11 | 19 | |||||||
| Net repayment of revolving long-term debt | Financing | 950 | - | |||||||
| Repayment of long-term debt (1) | Financing | 1,137 | 272 | |||||||
| Purchase of shares of common stock | Financing | 111 | - | |||||||
| Dividends on shares of common stock | Financing | 122 | 97 | |||||||
| Other | Financing/Investing | 119 | 287 | |||||||
| 3,969 | 2,411 | |||||||||
| Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss) on Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Held in Foreign Currency | - | (5 | ) | |||||||
| Increase (Decrease) in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | $ | 185 | $ | (180 | ) |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Includes open market repurchases in 2020. |
Operating Activities
Net cash from operating activities in 2021 was $3,129 million and was primarily a reflection of the impacts from higher average realized commodity prices, partially offset by the effects of the Company’s commodity price mitigation program and changes in non‑cash working capital.
Additional detail on changes in non-cash working capital can be found in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Ovintiv expects it will continue to meet the payment terms of its suppliers.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow in 2021 was $3,209 million and was primarily impacted by the items affecting cash from operating activities which are discussed below and in the Results of Operations section of this MD&A.
2021 versus 2020
Net cash from operating activities increased $1,234 million compared to 2020 primarily due to:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Higher realized commodity prices ($3,532 million), a current income tax recovery mainly due to the resolution of prior years’ tax items ($156 million), lower decommissioning payments primarily related to Deep Panuke ($123 million), lower administrative expenses, excluding non-cash long-term incentive costs and current expected credit losses ($25 million) and higher interest income ($9 million); |
partially offset by:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| • | Realized losses on risk management in revenues compared to gains in 2020 ($2,106 million), changes in non-cash working capital ($180 million), lower production volumes ($160 million), higher production, mineral and other taxes ($120 million) and higher transportation and processing expense ($114 million). |
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Investing Activities
The Company’s primary investing activities are capital expenditures, divestitures and acquisitions, and are summarized in Notes 2 and 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2021 and 2020
Net cash used in investing activities in 2021 was $525 million primarily due to capital expenditures, partially offset by proceeds from divestitures. Capital expenditures decreased $217 million compared to 2020 due to the Company’s reduced capital program in response to the volatile market conditions that commenced at the end of the first quarter of 2020 as well as the Company’s drive to maintain capital discipline while maximizing efficiency gains.
Acquisitions in 2021 were $11 million (2020 - $19 million), which primarily included property purchases with oil and liquids rich potential.
Divestitures in 2021 were $1,025 million, which primarily included the sale of the Eagle Ford assets in south Texas and Duvernay assets in west central Alberta, totaling approximately $1.0 billion, after closing and other adjustments, as well as certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets. Divestitures in 2020 were $89 million, which primarily included the sale of certain properties that did not complement Ovintiv’s existing portfolio of assets.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities has been impacted by the Company’s strategy to enhance liquidity, strengthen its balance sheet by repaying or repurchasing existing debt, and returning value to shareholders through the purchase of shares of common stock and paying dividends.
2021 versus 2020
Net cash used in financing activities in 2021 increased $2,213 million compared to 2020. The increase was primarily due to a net repayment of revolving long-term debt in 2021 of $950 million compared to a net issuance in 2020 of $252 million, higher repayment of long-term debt associated with the early redemption of the Company’s senior notes ($865 million) and shares of common stock purchased under the 2021 NCIB ($111 million) as discussed below.
From time to time, Ovintiv may seek to retire or purchase the Company’s outstanding debt through cash purchases and/or exchanges for other debt or equity securities, in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. Such repurchases or exchanges, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, the Company’s liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors.
The Company’s long-term debt totaled $4,786 million at December 31, 2021. There was no current portion of long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2021. The Company’s long-term debt at December 31, 2020 totaled $6,885 million, which included the current portion of $518 million. In June 2021, the Company redeemed its $600 million, 5.75 percent senior notes due January 30, 2022, and in August 2021, redeemed its $518 million, 3.90 percent senior notes due November 15, 2021. The combined debt redemptions will result in annualized interest savings of over $50 million. As at December 31, 2021, the Company has no fixed rate long-term debt due until 2024 and beyond.
Since the second quarter of 2020, the Company has allocated $2,580 million in excess cash flows to reduce its total long-term debt balance, which includes proceeds from the Duvernay and Eagle Ford asset divestitures. The Company expects to achieve its Net Debt balance of $3.0 billion in the second half of 2022, assuming commodity prices of $85.00 per barrel for WTI oil and $4.50 per MMBtu for NYMEX natural gas.
In support of the Company’s commitment to growing shareholder value, Ovintiv announced a new capital allocation framework in the third quarter that outlines increasing returns to shareholders as well as continuing the Company’s progress on debt reduction.
For additional information on long-term debt, refer to Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Dividends
The Company pays quarterly dividends to common shareholders at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Payments | $ | 122 | $ | 97 | |||
| Dividend Payments ($/share) | $ | 0.4675 | $ | 0.375 |
On February 24, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock payable on March 31, 2022 to common shareholders of record as of March 15, 2022. This represents an increase of about 43 percent to the annualized dividend payment.
Normal Course Issuer Bid
On September 28, 2021, Ovintiv announced it received regulatory approval to commence a NCIB that enables the Company to purchase, for cancellation, up to approximately 26 million shares of common stock over a 12-month period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022. The number of shares authorized for purchase represent approximately 10 percent of Ovintiv’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock as at September 20, 2021. The Company is funding the NCIB through its new capital allocation framework as discussed above. In 2021, the Company purchased for cancellation, approximately 3.1 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $111 million.
For additional information on the NCIB, refer to Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Material Cash Requirements
Ovintiv’s material cash requirements include various contractual obligations arising from long-term debt, operating leases, risk management liabilities and asset retirement obligations which are recognized on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Company expects to fund long term material cash requirements primarily with cash from operating activities.
Interest payments include scheduled cash payments on long-term debt, finance leases and other obligations. Additional information can be found in Notes 15 and 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Operating leases include drilling rigs, compressors, office and buildings, certain land easements and various equipment utilized in the development and production of oil, NGLs and natural gas, as well as The Bow building. The Company has subleased approximately 50 percent of The Bow office space under the lease agreement. Additional information on leases can be found in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Risk management liabilities represent Ovintiv’s net liability positions with counterparties. The majority of the Company’s risk management positions are expected to be settled by the end of 2022. Additional information can be found in Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contractual commitments relating to transportation and processing commitments, and drilling and field services can be found in Notes 14 and 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Further to the commitments discussed above, Ovintiv also has various obligations that become payable if certain future events occur relating to take or pay arrangements and guarantees on transportation commitments resulting from completed property divestitures as described in Notes 20, 25 and 27, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In addition, the Company has obligations to fund its defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans, as well as obligations to fund the disposal of long-lived assets upon their abandonment as described in Notes 23 and 17, respectively, to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other than the items discussed above, there are no other transactions, arrangements, or relationships with unconsolidated entities or persons that are reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s liquidity or the availability of, or requirements for, capital resources.
Contingencies
For information on contingencies, refer to Note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. For a discussion of the Company’s significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ from these estimates. Management considers the following to be its most critical accounting estimates that involve judgment. The following discussion outlines the accounting policies and practices involving the use of estimates that are critical to determining Ovintiv’s financial results. Changes in the estimates and assumptions discussed below could materially affect the amount or timing of the financial results of the Company.
| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream Assets and Reserve Estimates As Ovintiv follows full cost accounting for oil, NGLs and natural gas activities, reserves estimates are a key input to the Company’s depletion, gain or loss on divestitures and ceiling test impairment calculations. In addition, these reserves are the basis for the Company’s supplemental oil and gas disclosures. | Due to the inter-relationship of various judgments made to reserve estimates and the volatile nature of commodity prices, it is generally not possible to predict the timing or magnitude of ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv estimates its proved oil and natural gas reserves according to the definition of proved reserves provided by the SEC. The Company’s estimates of proved reserves are made using available geological and reservoir data as well as production performance data and must demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be economically producible in future periods from known reservoirs under existing economic conditions, operating methods and government regulations. The estimation of reserves is a subjective process. | Revisions to reserve estimates are necessary due to changes in and among other things, development plans, projected future rates of production, the timing of future expenditures, reservoir performance, economic conditions, governmental restrictions as well as changes in the expected recovery associated with infill drilling, all of which are subject to numerous uncertainties and various interpretations. Downward revisions in proved reserve estimates due to changes in reserve estimates may increase depletion expense and may also result in a ceiling test impairment. | |
| Reserves are calculated using an unweighted arithmetic average of commodity prices in effect on the first day of each of the previous 12 months, held flat for the life of the production, except where prices are defined by contractual arrangements. | Decreases in prices may result in reductions in certain proved reserves due to reaching economic limits at an earlier projected date and impact earnings through depletion expense and ceiling test impairments. | |
| Ovintiv manages its business using estimates of reserves and resources based on forecast prices and costs as it gives consideration to probable and possible reserves and future changes in commodity prices. | Ovintiv believes that the discounted after-tax future net cash flows from proved reserves required to be used in the ceiling test calculation are not indicative of the fair market value of Ovintiv’s oil and natural gas properties or the future net cash flows expected to be generated from such properties. | |
| Goodwill Impairments Goodwill is assessed for impairment at least annually in December, at the reporting unit level which are Ovintiv’s country cost centres. To assess impairment, the carrying amount of each reporting unit is determined and compared to the fair value of each respective reporting unit. Any excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit, including goodwill, over its fair value is recognized as an impairment and charged to net earnings. The impairment charge measured is limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Subsequent measurement of goodwill is at cost less any accumulated impairments. | The most significant assumptions used to determine a reporting unit’s fair value include estimations of oil and natural gas reserves, including both proved reserves and risk-adjusted unproved reserves, estimates of market prices considering forward commodity price curves as of the measurement date, market discount rates and estimates of operating, administrative, and capital costs adjusted for inflation. In addition, management may support fair value estimates determined with comparable companies that are actively traded in the public market, recent comparable asset transactions, and transaction premiums. This would require management to make certain judgments about the selection of comparable companies utilized. | |
| Because quoted market prices for the Company’s reporting units are not available, management applies judgment in determining the estimated fair value of reporting units for purposes of performing goodwill impairment tests. Ovintiv may use a combination of the income and the market valuation approaches. | Downward revisions of estimated reserves quantities, increases in future cost estimates, sustained decreases in oil or natural gas prices, or divestiture of a significant component of the reporting unit could reduce expected future cash flows and fair value estimates of the reporting units and possibly result in an impairment of goodwill in future periods. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Retirement Obligation Asset retirement obligations are those legal obligations where the Company will be required to retire tangible long-lived assets such as producing well sites, processing plants, and restoring land at the end of oil and natural gas production operations. The fair value of estimated asset retirement obligations is recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheet when incurred and a reasonable estimate of fair value can be made. The asset retirement cost, equal to the initially estimated fair value of the asset retirement obligation, is capitalized as part of the cost of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the estimated obligation are recognized as a change in the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost. Actual expenditures incurred are charged against the accumulated asset retirement obligation. Accretion expense is recognized over time as the discounted liability is accreted to its expected settlement value. | Asset removal technologies and costs are constantly changing, as are regulatory, political, environmental, safety, and public relations considerations. The asset retirement obligation is estimated by discounting the expected future cash flows of the settlement. The discounted cash flows are based on estimates of such factors as reserves lives, retirement costs, timing of settlements, credit-adjusted risk-free rates and inflation rates. Changes in these estimates impact net earnings through accretion of the asset retirement obligation in addition to depletion of the asset retirement cost included in property, plant and equipment. | |
| Derivative Financial Instruments Ovintiv uses derivative financial instruments to manage its exposure to market risks relating to commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates. The Company’s policy is not to utilize derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes. Realized gains or losses from financial derivatives are recognized in net earnings as the contracts are settled. Unrealized gains and losses are recognized in net earnings at the end of each respective reporting period based on the changes in fair value of the contracts. | Ovintiv’s derivative financial instruments primarily relate to commodities including oil, NGLs and natural gas. The most significant assumptions used in determining the fair value to the Company’s commodity derivatives financial instruments include estimates of future commodity prices, implied volatilities of commodity prices, discount rates and estimates of counterparty credit risk. These pricing and discounting variables are sensitive to the period of the contract and market volatility as well as regional price differentials. These inputs may also be observable and corroborated by market data or unobservable and sourced from limited market activity, internally generated estimates or corroborated by third parties. Changes in these estimates and assumptions can impact net earnings, revenues and expenses. | |
| Derivative financial instruments are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net earnings. Fair value estimates are determined using quoted prices in active markets, inferred based on market prices of similar assets and liabilities or valued using internally developed estimates. The Company may use various valuation techniques including the discounted cash flow or option valuation models. As Ovintiv has chosen not to elect hedge accounting treatment for the Company’s derivative financial instruments, changes in the fair values of derivative financial instruments can have a significant impact on Ovintiv’s results of operations. Generally, changes in fair values of derivative financial instruments do not impact the Company’s liquidity or capital resources. Settlements of derivative financial instruments do have an impact on the Company’s liquidity and results of operation. | ||
| Income Taxes Ovintiv follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of any temporary difference between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability, using the enacted income tax rates and laws expected to apply when the assets are realized and liabilities are settled. Current income taxes are measured at the amount expected to be recoverable from or payable to the taxing authorities based on the income tax rates and laws enacted at the end of the reporting period. The effect of a change in the enacted tax rates or laws is recognized in net earnings in the period of enactment. | Tax interpretations, regulations, legislation and potential Treasury Department guidance, in the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate are subject to change and interpretation. As such, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty and the interpretations can impact net earnings through the income tax expense arising from the changes in deferred income tax assets or liabilities. |
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| Description | Judgments and Uncertainties | |
|---|---|---|
| Deferred income tax assets are routinely assessed for realizability. If it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the deferred tax assets. | Ovintiv considers available positive and negative evidence when assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, including historic and expected future taxable earnings, available tax planning strategies and carry forward periods. Numerous judgments and assumptions are inherent in the determination of future taxable income, including factors such as future operating conditions, particularly related to oil and gas prices. As a result, the assumptions used in determining expected future taxable earnings are consistent with those used in the goodwill impairment assessment. | |
| Ovintiv’s interim income tax expense is determined using an estimated annual effective income tax rate applied to year-to-date net earnings before income tax plus the effect of legislative changes and amounts in respect of prior periods. | The estimated annual effective income tax rate is impacted by expected annual earnings, changes in valuation allowances, state taxes, income tax related to foreign operations, the effect of legislative changes, and tax differences on divestitures and transactions. | |
| Ovintiv recognizes the financial statement effects of a tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination by a taxing authority. A recognized tax position is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. Liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits that are not expected to be settled within the next 12 months are included in other liabilities and provisions. | The Company routinely assesses potential uncertain tax positions and, if required, establishes accruals for such amounts. The accruals are adjusted based on changes in facts and circumstances. Material changes to Ovintiv’s income tax accruals may occur in the future based on the progress of ongoing audits, changes in legislation or resolution of pending matters. | |
| The Company’s unremitted earnings from its foreign subsidiaries are considered to be permanently reinvested, as a result the Company does not calculate a deferred tax liability for domestic income taxes on these foreign earnings. | Determination of unrecognized deferred income tax liabilities is not practicable due to the significant uncertainty in assumptions that would be required including determining the nature of any future remittances, that could be distributions in the form of non-taxable returns of capital or taxable earnings and associated withholding taxes, or determining the tax rates on any future remittances that could vary significantly depending on the available approaches to repatriate the earnings. | |
| Contingent Liabilities Ovintiv is subject to various legal proceedings, environmental remediation, commercial and regulatory claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company accrues losses when such losses are probable and reasonably estimable, except for contingencies acquired in a business combination which are recorded at fair value at the time of the acquisition. If a loss is probable but the Company cannot estimate a specific amount for that loss, the best estimate within the range is accrued and if no amount is better within the range, the minimum amount is accrued. | The establishment and evaluation of a contingent loss is based on advice from legal counsel, advisors or consultants and management’s judgement. Actual costs can vary from such estimates for various reasons including: i) differing interpretation of the law, opinions on responsibility and assessments on the amount of damages; ii) changes in status of litigation or claims and information available; iii) differing interpretation of regulations by regulators or the courts; iv) changes in laws and regulations; and v) additional or developing information relating to extent and nature of environmental remediation and technology improvements. The Company continually monitors known and potential legal, environmental and other claims or contingencies based on available information. Future changes in facts and circumstances not currently foreseeable could result in the actual liabilities recorded exceeding the estimated amounts accrued. |
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Non-GAAP Measures
Certain measures in this document do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by U.S. GAAP and, therefore, are considered non-GAAP measures. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be viewed as a substitute for measures reported under U.S. GAAP. These measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry and by Ovintiv to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company’s liquidity and its ability to generate funds to finance its operations. Non-GAAP measures include: Non-GAAP Cash Flow, Non-GAAP Cash Flow Margin, Total Costs, Debt to Adjusted Capitalization, Net Debt and Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA. Management’s use of these measures is discussed further below.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow and Non-GAAP Cash Flow Margin
Non-GAAP Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure defined as cash from (used in) operating activities excluding net change in other assets and liabilities, net change in non-cash working capital and current tax on sale of assets.
Non-GAAP Cash Flow Margin is a non-GAAP measure defined as Non-GAAP Cash Flow per BOE of production.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operating and financial performance across periods and against other companies in the industry, and are an indication of the Company’s ability to generate cash to finance capital programs, to service debt and to meet other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash From (Used in) Operating Activities | $ | 3,129 | $ | 1,895 | ||||
| (Add back) deduct: | ||||||||
| Net change in other assets and liabilities | (39 | ) | (173 | ) | ||||
| Net change in non-cash working capital | (41 | ) | 139 | |||||
| Current tax on sale of assets | - | - | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow (1) | $ | 3,209 | $ | 1,929 | ||||
| Divided by: | ||||||||
| Production Volumes (MMBOE) | 194.9 | 199.0 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP Cash Flow Margin ($/BOE) | $ | 16.46 | $ | 9.69 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | 2021 includes restructuring costs of $14 million (2020 - $90 million). |
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Total Costs
Total Costs is a non-GAAP measure which includes the summation of production, mineral and other taxes, upstream transportation and processing expense, upstream operating expense and administrative expense, excluding the impact of long-term incentive, restructuring and legal costs, and current expected credit losses. It is calculated as total operating expenses excluding non-upstream operating costs and non-cash items which include operating expenses from the Market Optimization and Corporate and Other segments, depreciation, depletion and amortization, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, long-term incentive, restructuring and legal costs, and current expected credit losses. When presented on a per BOE basis, Total Costs is divided by production volumes. Management believes this measure is useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of operational efficiency across periods.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Operating Expenses | $ | 7,139 | $ | 11,484 | ||||
| Deduct (add back): | ||||||||
| Market optimization operating expenses | 3,148 | 1,608 | ||||||
| Corporate & other operating expenses | (1 | ) | (2 | ) | ||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,190 | 1,834 | ||||||
| Impairments | - | 5,580 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 22 | 29 | ||||||
| Long-term incentive costs | 132 | 31 | ||||||
| Restructuring and legal costs | 34 | 90 | ||||||
| Current expected credit losses | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Total Costs | $ | 2,613 | $ | 2,313 | ||||
| Divided by: | ||||||||
| Production Volumes (MMBOE) | 194.9 | 199.0 | ||||||
| Total Costs ($/BOE) (1) | $ | 13.42 | $ | 11.60 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Calculated using whole dollars and volumes. |
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization
Debt to Adjusted Capitalization is a non-GAAP measure which adjusts capitalization for historical ceiling test impairments that were recorded as at December 31, 2011. Management monitors Debt to Adjusted Capitalization as a proxy for the Company’s financial covenant under the Credit Facilities which require debt to adjusted capitalization to be less than 60 percent. Adjusted Capitalization includes debt, total shareholders’ equity and an equity adjustment for cumulative historical ceiling test impairments recorded as at December 31, 2011 in conjunction with the Company’s January 1, 2012 adoption of U.S. GAAP.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 4,786 | $ | 6,885 | |||
| Total Shareholders’ Equity | 5,074 | 3,837 | |||||
| Equity Adjustment for Impairments at December 31, 2011 | 7,746 | 7,746 | |||||
| Adjusted Capitalization | $ | 17,606 | $ | 18,468 | |||
| Debt to Adjusted Capitalization | 27% | 37% |
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Net Debt and Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Net Debt and Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures whereby Net Debt is defined as long-term debt, including the current portion, less cash and cash equivalents and Adjusted EBITDA is defined as trailing 12-month net earnings (loss) before income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization, impairments, accretion of asset retirement obligation, interest, unrealized gains/losses on risk management, foreign exchange gains/losses, gains/losses on divestitures and other gains/losses.
Management believes these measures are useful to the Company and its investors as a measure of financial leverage and the Company’s ability to service its debt and other financial obligations. These measures are used, along with other measures, in the calculation of certain financial performance targets for the Company’s management and employees.
| ($ millions, except as indicated) | December 31, 2021 | December 31, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-Term Debt, including current portion | $ | 4,786 | $ | 6,885 | ||||
| Less: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 195 | 10 | ||||||
| Net Debt | 4,591 | 6,875 | ||||||
| Net Earnings (Loss) | 1,416 | (6,097 | ) | |||||
| Add back (deduct): | ||||||||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortization | 1,190 | 1,834 | ||||||
| Impairments | - | 5,580 | ||||||
| Accretion of asset retirement obligation | 22 | 29 | ||||||
| Interest | 340 | 371 | ||||||
| Unrealized (gains) losses on risk management | 488 | 204 | ||||||
| Foreign exchange (gain) loss, net | (23 | ) | 17 | |||||
| (Gain) loss on divestitures, net | - | - | ||||||
| Other (gains) losses, net | (37 | ) | (55 | ) | ||||
| Income tax expense (recovery) | (177 | ) | 367 | |||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 3,219 | $ | 2,250 | ||||
| Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA (times) | 1.4 | 3.1 |
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