Canadian Natural Resources Limited Announces 2026 Budget

Core Viewpoint - Canadian Natural's 2026 budget emphasizes its strong asset base, execution capabilities, and resilience, positioning the company as a reliable and value-driven independent in the industry [1] Group 1: Financial Overview - The 2026 operating capital budget is approximately $6.3 billion, aimed at delivering value growth and strong returns on capital [3][8] - The company targets annual average production in 2026 to be between 1,590 MBOE/d and 1,650 MBOE/d, with a production growth of approximately 50,000 BOE/d or 3% over 2025 levels [3][8] - The diversified production mix is expected to consist of approximately 49% light crude oil, NGLs, and Synthetic Crude Oil (SCO), 25% heavy crude oil, and 26% natural gas [4][8] Group 2: Production and Growth Strategy - The company plans to invest in short and medium-term production growth while commencing front-end engineering work for long-term value creation opportunities [2][8] - The 2026 budget includes approximately $175 million for front-end engineering related to potential medium and long-term projects, including expansions at Jackfish and Jackpine mines [8] - The production guidance for liquids is targeted at 1,177 Mbbl/d to 1,220 Mbbl/d, representing a growth of approximately 55,000 bbl/d or 5% over 2025 levels [8][10] Group 3: Capital Allocation and Shareholder Returns - The company aims to generate significant free cash flow through its disciplined capital budget and low maintenance capital requirements, with returns to shareholders through dividends, share repurchases, and debt reduction [5][24] - The free cash flow allocation policy targets 60% of free cash flow to shareholder returns and 40% to the balance sheet until net debt reaches $15 billion [32] - When net debt is between $12 billion and $15 billion, the allocation will shift to 75% for shareholder returns and 25% for the balance sheet [32]