Ovintiv Inc

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 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 most prolific 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 the 2023 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.

Highlights

During the first nine months of 2024, the Company focused on executing its 2024 capital investment plan aimed at maximizing profitability through operational and capital efficiencies, and delivering cash from operating activities. Lower upstream product revenues in the first nine months of 2024 compared to 2023, 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 44 percent were primarily due to lower benchmark prices. Total production volumes increased six percent compared to the first nine months of 2023 primarily due to the addition of the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023. Ovintiv continues to focus on optimizing realized prices from the diversification of the Company’s downstream markets.

Significant Development

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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 continue to execute the renewed NCIB program in conjunction with its capital allocation framework.

Financial Results

Three months ended September 30, 2024

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Reported net earnings of $507 million, or $1.92 per share diluted, including a net gain of $150 million, or $0.57 per share diluted, from a settlement related to certain previously divested legacy assets.

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Recognized net gains on risk management in revenues of $128 million, before tax.

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Generated cash from operating activities of $1,022 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $978 million.

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Purchased for cancellation, approximately 3.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $163 million.

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Paid dividends of $0.30 per share of common stock totaling $78 million.

Nine months ended September 30, 2024

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Reported net earnings of $1,185 million, or $4.41 per share diluted, including a net gain of $150 million, or $0.56 per share diluted, from a settlement related to certain previously divested legacy assets.

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Recognized net gains on risk management in revenues of $151 million, before tax.

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Generated cash from operating activities of $2,701 million and Non-GAAP Cash Flow of $3,038 million.

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Purchased for cancellation, approximately 12.7 million shares of common stock for total consideration of approximately $597 million.

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Paid dividends of $0.90 per share of common stock totaling $238 million.

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Had approximately $3.3 billion in total liquidity as at September 30, 2024, which included available credit facilities of $3.4 billion, available uncommitted demand lines of $232 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $9 million, net of outstanding commercial paper of $324 million.

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Reported Debt to EBITDA of 1.1 times and Non-GAAP Debt to Adjusted EBITDA of 1.2 times.

Capital Investment

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Executed the Company’s 2024 capital plan with expenditures totaling $1,751 million.

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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.

Production

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Produced average liquids volumes of 302.7 Mbbls/d, which accounted for 52 percent of total production volumes. Average oil and plant condensate volumes of 211.7 Mbbls/d, represented 70 percent of total liquids production volumes.

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Produced average natural gas volumes of 1,704 MMcf/d, which accounted for 48 percent of total production volumes.

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Produced average total volumes of 586.7 MBOE/d.

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Incurred upstream transportation and processing expenses of $1,163 million or $7.24 per BOE. Total transportation and processing expenses were $1,240 million, a decrease of $100 million compared to 2023, primarily due to an expired pipeline transportation contract, the impact of new downstream contracts in Uinta, and the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by higher production volumes in Permian and Uinta.

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Incurred upstream operating expenses of $696 million or $4.33 per BOE, an increase of $92 million compared to 2023, primarily due to the Permian assets acquired in the second quarter of 2023, partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023.

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Incurred production, mineral and other taxes of $258 million, which represents approximately 4.7 percent of upstream product revenues. Total production, mineral and other taxes increased $9 million compared to 2023, primarily due to higher production volumes in Permian and Uinta, partially offset by the sale of the Bakken assets in the second quarter of 2023.

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.

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 the remainder of 2024 are expected to be impacted by the interplay between the pace of global economic growth and demand for oil, OPEC+ production levels and continued supply uncertainties resulting from geopolitical events. Recessionary concerns continue to have an impact on global demand outlooks 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, deviations from seasonally normal weather, as well as volatility in regional markets.

Natural gas benchmark prices for the remainder of 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 through the remainder of 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. As at September 30, 2024, the Company has hedged approximately 50.0 Mbbls/d of expected oil production and 800 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 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

Capital Investment

The Company continues to execute its 2024 capital investment program, focusing on maximizing returns from high-margin oil and condensate, and generating cash flows in excess of capital expenditures.

During the third quarter of 2024, the Company invested $538 million, near the lower end of its third quarter guidance of $530 million to $570 million. In November, the Company narrowed its full year 2024 capital investment guidance range to $2,275 million to $2,325 million.

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. The Company continues to enhance its multi-frac technology by shifting, where possible, from simultaneously fracing two wells (“Simulfrac”) to fracing three wells (“Trimulfrac”) 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.

Production

During the third quarter of 2024, total average production volumes were 592.6 MBOE/d, which exceeded the third quarter guidance range of 565.0 MBOE/d to 580.0 MBOE/d, primarily due to the impact of lower than expected royalty rates in the Canadian Operations resulting from lower natural gas benchmark prices. Average oil and plant condensate production volumes were 212.4 Mbbls/d, average other NGL production volumes were 92.6 Mbbls/d and average natural gas production volumes were 1,725 MMcf/d, which exceeded third quarter guidance ranges of 204.0 Mbbls/d to 208.0 Mbbls/d, 88.0 Mbbls/d to 92.0 Mbbls/d and 1,640 MMcf/d to 1,690 MMcf/d, respectively.

In November, the Company further updated its full year 2024 total production guidance range to 583.0 MBOE/d to 587.0 MBOE/d, including oil and plant condensate production volumes of approximately 209.0 Mbbls/d to 211.0 Mbbls/d, other NGLs production volumes of approximately 91.0 Mbbls/d to 92.0 Mbbls/d and natural gas production volumes of approximately 1,700 MMcf/d to 1,715 MMcf/d.

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.

The Company is on track to achieve its full year upstream transportation and processing cost guidance range of approximately $7.50 per BOE to $8.00 per BOE, based on commodity price assumptions of $75.00 per barrel for WTI oil and $2.50 per MMBtu for NYMEX natural gas. Upstream transportation and processing costs of $7.31 per BOE during the three months ended September 30, 2024, was lower than guidance, primarily due to lower than expected natural gas commodity prices.

The Company is also on track to meet the full year guidance range for 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 product revenues. The Company’s upstream operations refers to the summation of the USA and Canadian operating segments.

Additional information on Ovintiv’s fourth quarter and updated full year 2024 Corporate Guidance can be accessed on the Company’s website atwww.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 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 2023, the Company had achieved a greater than 40 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. The GHG emissions reduction target is tied to the annual compensation program for all employees.

During the second quarter of 2023, the Company acquired assets in Permian which increased both oil production volumes and net premium well inventory. 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.

Ovintiv is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. 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 the 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Additional information on Ovintiv’s sustainable business practices are included in its most recent Sustainability Report on the Company’s sustainability website athttps://sustainability.ovintiv.com.