Imperial Oil has suggested a “restructuring” plan that cuts about 900 jobs in the south won’t have a direct effect on its Norman Wells oil field operations.
The company announced changes on Monday that will centralize much of its Alberta workforce in Edmonton instead of its current head office location, Calgary.
The move is “expected to reduce employee roles by approximately 20 percent by the end of 2027,” Imperial Oil stated in a news release.
Imperial reported a profit of $2.2 billion after taxes for the first half of 2025, down only slightly from $2.3 billion in the same period of the previous year.
Prices have dropped significantly over the past year, the company said in its latest financial report, but an increase in the volume sold and a favourable foreign exchange market have helped maintain profitability.
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The restructuring will cost $330 million, the company said this week, and lead to a $150-million reduction in annual expenses by 2028.
“We recognize the considerable impact this restructuring will have on our employees and their families. We are deeply committed to supporting our employees through this transition,” Imperial chairman John Whelan stated.
Without providing plain-language detail, Whelan said Imperial was “leveraging the rapidly advancing technology environment and the growth of global capability centres.”
Federal energy minister Tim Hodgson said Ottawa was “urgently working to better understand the factors behind the company’s decision and to explore ways to support affected employees during this difficult time.”
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While Imperial said “the majority” of affected jobs are in Calgary, the company has not provided a precise breakdown.
Asked on Tuesday whether its announcement would have any impact on operations in the NWT, an Imperial Oil spokesperson initially replied on Wednesday afternoon only to restate lines from the Monday news release.
Questioned further about the possibility of change to Imperial’s NWT staffing levels, spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said the affected roles are corporate positions, not field.
Imperial runs the century-old oil field at Norman Wells in the NWT’s Sahtu region.
The field is near the end of its life, but the company has previously indicated it believes five to 10 years’ more operation is possible.
