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Critical Accounting Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2023
Disclosure of joint operations [abstract] |
Critical Accounting Judgments and Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty |
4. CRITICAL ACCOUNTING JUDGMENTS AND KEY SOURCES OF ESTIMATION UNCERTAINTY
The timely preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with IFRS requires that Management make estimates and assumptions, and use judgment regarding the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Such estimates primarily relate to unsettled transactions and events as of the date of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The estimated fair value of financial assets and liabilities, by their very nature, are subject to measurement uncertainty. Accordingly, actual results may differ from estimated amounts as future confirming events occur. A) Critical Judgments in Applying Accounting Policies Critical judgments are those judgments made by Management in the process of applying accounting policies that have the most significant effect on the amounts recorded in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Joint Arrangements The classification of a joint arrangement that is held in a separate vehicle as either a joint operation or a joint venture requires judgment. Cenovus has a 50 percent interest in WRB Refining LP (“WRB”), a jointly controlled entity. The joint arrangement meets the definition of a joint operation under IFRS 11, “Joint Arrangements” (“IFRS 11”); therefore, the Company’s share of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses are recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Prior to February 28, 2023, Cenovus held a 50 percent interest in Toledo, which was jointly controlled with BP Products North America Inc. (“bp”) and met the definition of a joint operation under IFRS 11. As such, Cenovus recognized its share of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses in its consolidated results. Subsequent to February 28, 2023, Cenovus controls Toledo, as defined under IFRS 10, “Consolidated Financial Statements” (“IFRS 10”), and, accordingly, Toledo was consolidated. Prior to August 31, 2022, Cenovus held a 50 percent interest in SOSP, which was jointly controlled with BP Canada Energy Group ULC (“bp Canada”) and met the definition of a joint operation under IFRS 11. As such, Cenovus recognized its share of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses in its consolidated results. Subsequent to August 31, 2022, Cenovus controls SOSP, as defined under IFRS 10, and, accordingly, SOSP was consolidated. In determining the classification of its joint arrangements under IFRS 11, the Company considered the following: •The original intention of the joint arrangements was to form an integrated North American heavy oil business. Partnerships are “flow-through” entities. •The agreements require the partners to make contributions if funds are insufficient to meet the obligations or liabilities of the corporation and partnerships. The past development of Toledo and SOSP, and the past and future development of WRB, is dependent on funding from the partners by way of capital contribution commitments, notes payable and loans. •WRB has third-party debt facilities to cover short-term working capital requirements. SOSP had a third-party debt facility. •Phillips 66, as operator of WRB, either directly or through wholly-owned subsidiaries, provides marketing services, purchases necessary feedstock, and arranges for transportation and storage, on the partners' behalf as the agreements prohibit the partners from undertaking these roles themselves. In addition, the joint arrangement does not have employees and, as such, is not capable of performing these roles. •As the operator of Toledo until February 28, 2023, bp, either directly or through wholly-owned subsidiaries, purchased necessary feedstock, and arranged for transportation and storage, on the partners' behalf. SOSP was operated like most typical western Canadian working interest relationships where the operating partner takes product on behalf of the participants in accordance with the partnership agreement. •In each arrangement, output is taken by the partners, indicating that the partners have the rights to the economic benefits of the assets and the obligation for funding the liabilities of the arrangements. Exploration and Evaluation Assets The application of the Company’s accounting policy for E&E expenditures requires judgment in determining whether it is likely that future economic benefit exists when activities have not reached a stage where technical feasibility and commercial viability can be reasonably determined. Factors such as drilling results, future capital programs, future operating expenses, as well as estimated reserves and resources are considered. In addition, Management uses judgment to determine when E&E assets are reclassified to PP&E. In making this determination, various factors are considered, including the existence of reserves, and whether the appropriate approvals have been received from regulatory bodies and the Company’s internal approval process. Identification of Cash-Generating Units CGUs are defined as the lowest level of integrated assets for which there are separately identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of cash flows from other assets or groups of assets. The classification of assets and allocation of corporate assets into CGUs requires significant judgment and interpretation. Factors considered in the classification include the integration between assets, shared infrastructures, the existence of common sales points, geography, geologic structure, and the manner in which Management monitors and makes decisions about its operations. The recoverability of the Company’s upstream, refining, crude-by-rail, railcars, storage tanks and corporate assets are assessed at the CGU level. As such, the determination of a CGU could have a significant impact on impairment losses and impairment reversals. Assessment of Impairment Indicators or Impairment Reversals PP&E, E&E assets and ROU assets are reviewed separately for indicators of impairment on a quarterly basis or when facts and circumstances suggest that the carrying amount may exceed its recoverable amount. Impairment losses recognized in prior periods, other than goodwill impairments, are assessed at each reporting date for any indicators that the impairment losses may no longer exist or may have decreased. The identification of indicators of impairment or reversal of impairment requires significant judgment. B) Key Sources of Estimation Uncertainty Critical accounting estimates are those estimates that require Management to make particularly subjective or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis and any revisions to accounting estimates are recorded in the period in which the estimates are revised. The evolving worldwide demand for energy and global advancement of alternative sources of energy that are not sourced from fossil fuels could change assumptions used to determine the recoverable amount of the Company’s PP&E and E&E assets and could affect the carrying value of those assets, may affect future development or viability of exploration prospects, may curtail the expected useful lives of oil and gas assets thereby accelerating depreciation charges and may accelerate decommissioning obligations increasing the present value of the associated provisions. The timing in which global energy markets transition from carbon-based sources to alternative energy is highly uncertain. Environmental considerations are built into estimates through the use of key assumptions used to estimate fair value including forward commodity prices, forward crack spreads and discount rates. The energy transition could impact the future prices of commodities. Pricing assumptions used in the determination of recoverable amounts incorporate market expectations and the evolving worldwide demand for energy. Changes to assumptions could result in a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year. The following are the key assumptions about the future and other key sources of estimation at the end of the reporting period that, if changed, could result in a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities within the next financial year. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Reserves There are a number of inherent uncertainties associated with estimating crude oil and natural gas reserves. Reserves estimates are dependent upon variables including the expected future production volumes, future development and operating expenses, forward commodity prices, estimated royalty payments and taxes. Changes in these variables could significantly impact the reserves estimates which would affect the impairment test recoverable amount and DD&A expense of the Company’s crude oil and natural gas assets in the Oil Sands, Conventional and Offshore segments. The Company’s reserves are evaluated annually and reported to the Company by its IQREs. Recoverable Amounts Determining the recoverable amount of a CGU or an individual asset requires the use of estimates and assumptions, which are subject to change as new information becomes available. For the Company’s upstream assets, these estimates include quantity of reserves, expected production volumes, future development and operating expenses, forward commodity prices and discount rates. Recoverable amounts f or the Company’s downstream assets use assumptions such as refined product production, forward crude oil prices, forward crack spreads, future operating expenses and capital expenditures and discount rates. Changes in assumptions used in determining the recoverable amount could affect the carrying value of the related assets. Decommissioning Costs Provisions are recorded for the future decommissioning and restoration of the Company’s upstream assets, refining assets and crude-by-rail terminal at the end of their economic lives. Management uses judgment to assess the existence of liabilities and estimate the future value. The actual cost of decommissioning and restoration is uncertain and cost estimates may change in response to numerous factors including changes in legal requirements, technological advances, inflation and the timing of expected decommissioning and restoration. In addition, Management determines the appropriate discount rate at the end of each reporting period. This discount rate, which is credit-adjusted, is used to determine the present value of the estimated future cash outflows required to settle the obligation and may change in response to numerous market factors. Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed in a Business Combination The fair value of assets acquired, liabilities assumed and assets given up in a business combination, including contingent consideration and goodwill, is estimated based on information available at the date of acquisition. Various valuation techniques are applied for measuring fair value including market comparable transactions and discounted cash flows. For the Company’s upstream assets, key assumptions in the discounted cash flow models used to estimate fair value include forward commodity prices, expected production volumes, quantity of reserves, discount rates, future development and operating expenses. Estimated production volumes and quantity of reserves for acquired oil and gas properties were developed by internal geology and engineering professionals and IQREs. For downstream assets, key assumptions used to estimate fair value include refined product production, forward crude oil prices, forward crack spreads, discount rates, operating expenses and future capital expenditures. Changes in these variables could significantly impact the carrying value of the net assets acquired. Income Tax Provisions The determination of the Company’s income and other tax liabilities requires interpretation of complex laws and regulations often involving multiple jurisdictions. There are usually a number of tax matters under review; therefore, income taxes are subject to measurement uncertainty. Deferred income tax assets are recorded to the extent that it is probable that the deductible temporary differences will be recoverable in future periods. The recoverability assessment involves a significant amount of estimation including an evaluation of when the temporary differences will reverse, an analysis of the amount of future taxable earnings, the availability of cash flow to offset the tax assets when the reversal occurs and the application of tax laws. There are some transactions for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. To the extent that assumptions used in the recoverability assessment change, there may be a significant impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements of future periods.

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- Definition The disclosure of judgements that management has made in the process of applying the entity's accounting policies that have the most significant effect on amounts recognised in the financial statements along with information about the assumptions that the entity makes about the future, and other major sources of estimation uncertainty at the end of the reporting period, that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next year. [Refer: Carrying amount [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2023-01-01 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph e -URI https://taxonomy.ifrs.org/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2023-en-r&anchor=para_10_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2023-03-23 + Details
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