Imperial’s reserves rise 50%

Article Excerpt

IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $42 (Toronto symbol IMO; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 859.4 million; Market cap: $36.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; SI Rating: Average) had proven oil reserves of roughly 2.3 billion barrels at the end of 2008. This is a 50% increase over 2007. Imperial’s new Kearl Lake oil-sands project, which added 800,000 barrels to the total, is the main reason for the rise. Kearl Lake should begin operating in 2012. At its current production rates, Imperial’s reserves should last 25 years. This cuts its risk. Another hidden asset is Imperial’s refinery operations, which accounted for 23% of its 2008 earnings. They need oil to make gasoline, so they profit from cheap oil prices. Imperial Oil is a buy. buy…