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Summary of Material Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Summary of Material Accounting Policies  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3. Summary of Material Accounting Policies

(a) Joint Arrangements

The classification of joint arrangements considers the contractual rights and obligations of each investor and whether the legal structure of the joint arrangement gives the entity direct rights to the assets and obligations for the liabilities.

(b) Foreign Currency Translation

Functional currencies of the company’s individual entities are the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the appropriate functional currency at foreign exchange rates that approximate those on the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to the appropriate functional currency at foreign exchange rates as at the balance sheet date. Foreign

exchange differences arising on translation are recognized in net earnings. Non-monetary assets that are measured in a foreign currency at historical cost are translated using the exchange rate at the date of the transaction.

In preparing the company’s consolidated financial statements, the financial statements of each entity are translated into Canadian dollars. The assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated into Canadian dollars at exchange rates as at the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses of foreign operations are translated into Canadian dollars using foreign exchange rates that approximate those on the date of the underlying transaction. Foreign exchange differences are recognized in other comprehensive income.

If the company or any of its entities disposes of its entire interest in a foreign operation, or loses control, joint control or significant influence over a foreign operation, the accumulated foreign currency translation gains or losses related to the foreign operation are recognized in net earnings.

(c) Revenues

Revenue from the sale of crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, purchased products, refined petroleum products and power represent the company’s contractual arrangements with customers. Revenue is recorded when control passes to the customer, in accordance with specified contract terms. All operating revenue is earned at a point in time and is based on the consideration that the company expects to receive for the transfer of the goods to the customer. Revenues are usually collected in the month following delivery except retail gasoline, diesel and ancillary products, which are due upon delivery and, accordingly, the company does not adjust consideration for the effects of a financing component.

International operations conducted pursuant to Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) are reflected in the consolidated financial statements based on the company’s working interest. Each PSC establishes the exploration, development and operating costs the company is required to fund and terms for the company to recover these costs and to share in the production profits. Cost recovery is generally limited to a specified percentage of production during each year (Cost Recovery Oil). Any Cost Recovery Oil remaining after costs have been recovered is referred to as Excess Petroleum and is shared between the company and the respective government. Assuming collection is reasonably assured, the company records revenue when the sale of product to a third party occurs. Revenue also includes income taxes paid on the company’s behalf by government joint partners.

(d) Inventories

Inventories of crude oil and refined products, other than inventories held for trading purposes, are valued at the lower of cost, using the first-in, first-out method, and net realizable value. Cost of inventory consists of purchase costs, direct production costs, direct overhead and depreciation, depletion and amortization. Materials and supplies are valued at the lower of average cost and net realizable value.

Inventories held for trading purposes are carried at fair value less costs to sell and any changes in fair value are recognized in Other Income within the respective reporting segment to which the trading activity relates.

(e) Exploration and Evaluation Assets

The costs to acquire non-producing oil and gas properties or licences to explore, drill exploratory wells and the costs to evaluate the commercial potential of underlying resources, including related borrowing costs, are initially capitalized as Exploration and Evaluation assets. Certain exploration costs, including geological, geophysical and seismic expenditures and delineation on oil sands properties, are charged to Exploration expense as incurred.

Exploration and Evaluation assets are subject to technical, commercial and management review to confirm the continued intent to develop and extract the underlying resources. If an area or exploration well is no longer considered commercially viable, the related capitalized costs are expensed.

When management determines with reasonable certainty that an Exploration and Evaluation asset will be developed, as evidenced by the classification of proved or probable reserves and the appropriate internal and external approvals, the asset is transferred to Property, Plant and Equipment.

(f) Property, Plant and Equipment

The costs to acquire and to develop oil and gas properties, including completing geological and geophysical surveys and drilling development wells, and the costs to construct and install development infrastructure, such as wellhead equipment, well platforms, well pairs, offshore platforms, subsea structures and an estimate of asset retirement costs, are capitalized as oil and gas properties within Property, Plant and Equipment.

The costs to construct, install and commission, or acquire, oil and gas production equipment, including oil sands upgraders, extraction plants, mine equipment, processing and power generation facilities, utility plants, and all renewable energy, refining, and marketing assets, are capitalized as plant and equipment within Property, Plant and Equipment.

Stripping activity required to access oil sands mining resources incurred in the initial development phase is capitalized as part of the construction cost of the mine. Stripping costs incurred in the production phase are charged to expense as they normally relate to production for the current period.

The costs of planned major inspection, overhaul and turnaround activities that maintain Property, Plant and Equipment and benefit future years of operations are capitalized. Recurring planned maintenance activities performed on shorter intervals are expensed as operating costs. Replacements outside of a major inspection, overhaul or turnaround are capitalized when it is probable that future economic benefits will be realized by the company and the associated carrying amount of the replaced component is derecognized.

Borrowing costs relating to assets that take over one year to construct are capitalized as part of the asset. Capitalization of borrowing costs ceases when the asset is in the location and condition necessary for its intended use, and is suspended when construction of an asset is ceased for extended periods.

(g) Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization

Exploration and Evaluation assets are not subject to depreciation, depletion and amortization. Once transferred to oil and gas properties within Property, Plant and Equipment and commercial production commences, these costs are depleted on a unit-of-production basis over proved developed reserves, with the exception of costs associated with oil sands mines, which are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the life of the mine, and property acquisition costs, which are depleted over proved reserves.

Capital expenditures are not depreciated or depleted until assets are substantially complete and ready for their intended use.

Costs to develop oil and gas properties other than certain oil sands mining assets, including costs of dedicated infrastructure, such as well pads and wellhead equipment, are depleted on a unit-of-production basis over proved developed reserves. A portion of these costs may not be depleted if they relate to undeveloped reserves. Costs related to offshore facilities are depleted over proved and probable reserves. Costs to develop and construct oil sands mines are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the life of the mine.

Major components of Property, Plant and Equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their expected useful lives.

Oil sands upgraders, extraction plants and mine facilities

10 to 40 years

Oil sands mine equipment

5 to 15 years

Oil sands in situ processing facilities

30 years

Power generation and utility plants

30 to 40 years

Refineries and other processing plants

20 to 40 years

Marketing and other distribution assets

10 to 40 years

The costs of major inspection, overhaul and turnaround activities that are capitalized are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the period to the next scheduled activity, which varies from two to five years.

Depreciation, depletion and amortization rates are reviewed annually or when events or conditions occur that impact capitalized costs, reserves or estimated service lives.

Right-of-use assets within Property, Plant and Equipment are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the right-of-use asset or the lease term.

(h) Impairment of Assets

Non-Financial Assets

Property, Plant and Equipment and Exploration and Evaluation assets are reviewed quarterly to assess whether there is any indication of impairment. Goodwill and intangible assets that have an indefinite useful life are tested for impairment annually. Exploration and Evaluation assets are also tested for impairment immediately prior to being transferred to Property, Plant and Equipment.

If any indication of impairment exists, an estimate of the asset’s recoverable amount is calculated as the higher of the fair value less costs of disposal and value-in-use. In determining fair value less costs of disposal, recent market transactions are considered, if available. In the absence of such transactions, an appropriate valuation model is used. Value-in-use is assessed using the present value of the expected future cash flows of the relevant asset. If the asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets, the asset is tested as part of a cash generating unit (CGU), which is the smallest identifiable group of assets that generates cash inflows that are largely independent of the cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. An impairment loss is the amount by which the carrying amount of the individual asset or CGU exceeds its recoverable amount.

Impairments may be reversed for all CGUs and individual assets, other than goodwill, if there has been a change in the estimates and judgments used to determine the asset’s recoverable amount since the last impairment loss was recognized. If such indication exists, the carrying amount of the CGU or asset is increased to its revised recoverable amount, which cannot exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depletion, depreciation and amortization, had no impairment been recognized.

Impairments and impairment reversals are recognized within Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization and Impairment.

Financial Assets

At each reporting date, the company assesses the expected credit losses associated with its financial assets measured at amortized cost. Expected credit losses are measured as the difference between the cash flows that are due to the company and the cash flows that the company expects to receive, discounted at the effective interest rate determined at initial recognition. For trade accounts receivables, the company applies the simplified approach permitted by IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, which requires lifetime expected credit losses to be recognized from initial recognition of the receivables. To measure expected credit losses, accounts receivables are grouped based on the number of days the receivables have been outstanding and the internal credit assessments of the customers. Credit risk for longer term receivables is assessed based on an external credit rating of the counterparty.

(i) Provisions

Provisions are recognized for decommissioning and restoration obligations associated with the company’s Exploration and Evaluation assets and Property, Plant and Equipment. Provisions for decommissioning and restoration obligations are measured at the present value of management’s best estimate of the future cash flows required to settle the present obligation, using the credit-adjusted risk-free interest rate. The value of the obligation is added to the carrying amount of the associated asset and amortized over the useful life of the asset. The provision is accreted over time through Financing Expense with actual expenditures charged against the accumulated obligation. Changes in the future cash flow estimates resulting from revisions to the estimated timing or amount of undiscounted cash flows are recognized as a change in the decommissioning and restoration provision and related asset.

(j) Income Taxes

The company follows the liability method of accounting for income taxes whereby deferred income taxes are recorded for the effect of differences between the accounting and income tax basis of an asset or liability. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted or substantively enacted income tax rates as at the balance sheet date that are anticipated to apply to taxable income in the years in which temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

Changes to these balances are recognized in net earnings or in other comprehensive income in the period they occur. Investment tax credits are recorded as a reduction to the related expenditures.

The company recognizes the impact of a tax filing position when it is probable, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon audit. If it is determined a tax filing position is not considered probable, the company assesses the possible outcomes and their associated probabilities and records a tax provision based on the best estimate of the amount of tax payable.

(k) Pensions and Other Post-Retirement Benefits

The company sponsors defined benefit pension plans, defined contribution pension plans and other post-retirement benefits.

The cost of pension benefits earned by employees in the defined contribution pension plan is expensed as incurred. The cost of defined benefit pension plans and other post-retirement benefits are actuarially determined using the projected unit credit method based on present pay levels and management’s best estimates of demographic and financial assumptions.

The liability recognized on the balance sheet is the present value of the defined benefit obligations less the fair value of plan assets. The value of plan assets is limited to the total of unrecognized past service cost and the present value of the economic benefits available in the form of refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions to the plan (“effect of the asset ceiling”). Any surplus is immediately recognized in other comprehensive income. In addition, a minimum liability is recognized when the statutory minimum funding requirement for past service exceeds the economic benefits available in the form of refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions to the plan.

Pension benefits earned during the current year are recorded in Operating, Selling and General expense. Interest costs on the net unfunded obligation are recorded in Financing Expense. Any actuarial gains or losses related to the plan assets and the defined benefit obligation, as well as the change in the asset ceiling and any minimum liability, are recognized immediately through other comprehensive income and transferred directly to retained earnings.

(l) Emissions Obligations and Rights

Emissions obligations are measured at the weighted average cost per unit of emissions expected to be incurred to settle the obligation and are recorded in the period in which the emissions occur within Operating, Selling and General expense, or Purchases.

Purchases of emissions rights are recognized as Other Assets on the balance sheet and are measured at historical cost. Emissions rights received by way of grant are recorded at a nominal amount.

(m) Leases

The company has elected not to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term leases that have a lease term of twelve months or less. The lease payments are recognized as an expense when incurred over the lease term. As well, the company has accounted for each lease component and any non-lease components as a single lease component for crude oil storage tanks.

The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the future lease payments, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease or, if that rate cannot be readily determined, the company’s incremental borrowing rate. Lease payments include fixed payments, as well as variable payments that are based on an index or rate.

The company has lease contracts that include storage tanks, pipelines, railway cars, vessels, buildings, land, and mobile equipment.