Excluding unrealized foreign exchange impacts on the company's U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt, the impact of income tax rate reductions on opening future income tax liabilities, and project start-up costs, 2008 earnings were $3.013 billion ($3.23 per common share), compared to $2.390 billion ($2.59 per common share) in 2007. Cash flow from operations in 2008 was $4.463 billion, compared to $4.009 billion in 2007.

The increases in earnings and cash flow from operations are due primarily to higher annual average price realizations for oil sands and natural gas products. This was partially offset by unscheduled maintenance - which led to higher operating expenses, lower production and increased product purchases - and decreased earnings from our downstream operations due to declining commodity prices in the second half of the year which reduced the value of inventories.

"We've had a challenging 2008 with unscheduled maintenance at our oil sands operations," said Rick George, president and chief executive officer. "We've put considerable effort into maximizing the reliability of our assets with the target of achieving higher, more stable production rates in 2009 and beyond."

  2008 Overview

  -   Suncor's total upstream production averaged 264,700 barrels of oil
      equivalent (boe) per day in 2008, compared to 271,400 boe per day in
      2007. Oil sands production contributed 228,000 barrels per day (bpd)
      in 2008 compared to 235,600 bpd in 2007. Oil sands production volumes
      and sales mix were impacted during the year by planned and unplanned
      maintenance activities in the company's upgrading and extraction
      facilities. In Suncor's natural gas business, production was
      220 million cubic feet equivalent (mmcfe) per day compared to an
      average of 215 mmcfe per day in 2007.

  -   Oil sands cash operating costs in 2008 averaged $38.50 per barrel,
      compared to $27.80 per barrel during 2007. The increase in cash
      operating costs per barrel was due to higher operating expenses
      including increased unplanned maintenance, as well as increased
      third-party bitumen purchases and higher natural gas input costs.

  -   Commissioning of Suncor's $2.3 billion expansion to one of two oil
      sands upgraders was completed in the third quarter of 2008. With the
      completion of this expansion, Suncor has upgrading design capacity in
      place of 350,000 bpd. Actual production in 2009 is expected to be
      less than design capacity at 300,000 bpd (+5%/-10%) primarily due to
      expected constraints in bitumen supply and planned maintenance in the
      third quarter.

  -   Suncor's Board of Directors approved a $20.6 billion investment that
      is expected to boost crude oil production capacity at the company's
      oil sands operation by 200,000 bpd. At the end of 2008, spending on
      this project totaled approximately $7.0 billion. Company-wide capital
      spending in 2008 totaled $7.6 billion. Net debt at year-end 2008 was
      $7.2 billion, compared to $3.2 billion at the end of 2007. For
      further details on Suncor's capital spending plans, see Operational
      and Financial Outlook on page 3.

  -   At the company's annual and special meeting in April 2008, Suncor
      shareholders approved a split of the company's common shares on a
      two-for-one basis, and the shares began trading at the split-adjusted
      price in May on both the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

Fourth Quarter 2008

Suncor recorded a net loss in the fourth quarter 2008 of $215 million ($0.24 per common share), compared to net earnings of $1.042 billion ($1.13 per common share) for the fourth quarter of 2007. Excluding unrealized foreign exchange impacts on the company's U.S. dollar denominated long-term debt, the impact of income tax rate reductions on opening future income tax liabilities, and project start-up costs, earnings for the fourth quarter of 2008 were $434 million ($0.46 per common share), compared to $677 million ($0.73 per common share) in the fourth quarter of 2007. Cash flow from operations for the fourth quarter of 2008 was $551 million, compared to $1.200 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The decrease in earnings was primarily due to significant decreases in benchmark commodity prices over the course of the fourth quarter of 2008. This negatively impacted both our sales revenues and the value of our inventories. In addition, we had higher operating expenses in our oil sands business. These impacts were partially offset by mark-to-market gains on our crude oil hedges. The decrease in cash flow from operations was due primarily to the same factors that impacted earnings during the quarter excluding the impact of the crude oil hedging gains.

Suncor's combined oil sands and natural gas production for the fourth quarter of 2008 was 279,400 boe per day, compared to 290,700 boe per day in the same period of 2007. Oil sands production in the fourth quarter of 2008 averaged 243,800 bpd, compared to fourth quarter 2007 production of 252,500 bpd. Production volumes were reduced in the fourth quarter of 2008 due to planned and unplanned maintenance. Natural gas production averaged 213 mmcfe per day in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to the 229 mmcfe per day recorded in the fourth quarter of 2007. The decrease in production was primarily due to third-party processing outages during the fourth quarter of 2008.

Fourth quarter 2008 oil sands cash operating costs were $41.30 per barrel, compared to $27.90 per barrel in the same period of 2007. Cash operating costs per barrel were higher in the fourth quarter primarily due to higher total operating costs, including expenses and production impacts related to a fire at the oil sands facility in late November.

In the company's downstream business, planned maintenance at the Sarnia refinery, which involved a partial shutdown of the facility's operating units, was completed in October. This shutdown was completed safely, on schedule and on budget.

Operational and Financial Outlook

In January, Suncor's Board of Directors approved a revised 2009 capital spending plan of $3 billion, with approximately one third of the budget targeted to growth projects and the remainder for spending on base business operations. The previous plan, approved in October 2008, had targeted spending of $6 billion.

With the revised plan, construction on the Voyageur upgrader and Firebag Stage 3 will be wound down and the projects placed in a "safe mode" pending resumption of expansion work. At this time, construction restart and completion targets for these projects, and start up and completion targets for all other expansion projects, have not been determined. Capital growth plans will be reviewed on a quarterly basis in light of market conditions and updates provided as details are known.

"With market conditions limiting our growth capital spending in 2009, we will be tightly focused on getting full value from our existing assets," said George. "Safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible performance will be the keys to weathering the current downturn and ensuring we are well positioned for a market recovery. We have some of the most experienced employees and contractors in the industry and, going forward, I expect everyone to be lined up behind these priorities."

Suncor's outlook provides management's targets for 2009 in certain key areas of the company's business. Users of this forward-looking information are cautioned that actual results may vary from the targets disclosed.

                                          2009 Full Year Outlook
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Oil Sands
  Production(1) (bpd)                     300 000 (+5%/-10%)
  Sales
    Diesel                                11%
    Sweet                                 39%
    Sour                                  48%
    Bitumen                               2%
  Realization on crude sales basket       WTI @ Cushing less
                                           Cdn$4.50 to Cdn$5.50 per barrel
  Cash operating costs(2)                 $33 to $38 per barrel
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Natural Gas
    Production(3) (mmcf equivalent
     per day)                             210 (+5%/-5%)
    Natural gas                           92%
    Liquids                               8%
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (1) Includes volumes transferred to Suncor for processing for which the
      company receives a processing fee. Volumes received under this
      arrangement are not included as purchases for financial statement
      presentation.

  (2) Cash operating cost estimates are based on the following assumptions:
      (i) production volumes and sales mix as described in the table above;
      and (ii) a natural gas price of $7.10 per gigajoule at AECO. This
      goal also includes costs incurred for third-party bitumen processing.
      Cash operating costs per barrel are not prescribed by Canadian
      generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). This non-GAAP
      financial measure does not have any standardized meaning and
      therefore is unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented
      by other companies. Suncor includes this non-GAAP financial measure
      because investors may use this information to analyze operating
      performance. This information should not be considered in isolation
      or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance
      with GAAP. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures".

  (3) Production target includes natural gas liquids (NGL) and crude oil
      converted into mmcf equivalent at a ratio of one barrel of NGL/crude
      oil: six thousand cubic feet of natural gas. This conversion ratio is
      based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable
      at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the
      wellhead. This mmcf equivalent may be misleading, particularly if
      used in isolation.

The 2009 outlook is based on Suncor's current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions for the 2009 fiscal year and is subject to change. Assumptions are based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be relevant. Assumptions of the 2009 outlook include implementing reliability and operational efficiency initiatives which we expect to minimize unplanned maintenance in 2009.

Factors that could potentially impact Suncor's operations and financial performance in 2009 include:

  -   Bitumen supply. Ore grade quality, unplanned mine equipment and
      extraction plant maintenance, tailings storage and in-situ reservoir
      performance could impact 2009 production targets. Production could
      also be impacted by the availability of third-party bitumen.

  -   Performance of recently commissioned upgrading facilities. Production
      rates while new equipment is being lined out are difficult to predict
      and can be impacted by unplanned maintenance.

  -   Unplanned maintenance. Production estimates could be impacted if
      unplanned work is required at any of its mining, production,
      upgrading, refining or pipeline assets.

  -   Crude oil hedges. Suncor has hedging agreements for 55,000 bpd in
      2009 and 2010 at a floor price of US$60 per barrel.

  -   Market Instability. Suncor's ability to borrow in the capital debt
      markets at acceptable rates may be affected by market instability.

Suncor Energy Inc. is an integrated energy company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Suncor's oil sands business, located near Fort McMurray, Alberta, extracts and upgrades oil sands and markets refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, while operations throughout western Canada produce natural gas. Suncor operates a refining and marketing business in Ontario with retail distribution under the Sunoco brand. U.S.A. downstream assets include pipeline and refining operations in Colorado and Wyoming and retail sales in the Denver area under the Phillips 66 brand. Suncor's common shares are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. is an authorized licensee of the Phillips 66 brand and marks in the state of Colorado. Sunoco in Canada is separate and unrelated to Sunoco in the United States, which is owned by Sunoco, Inc. of Philadelphia.