By Sourasis Bose

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Three of Canada's biggest oil

producers, Suncor Energy ( SU ), Cenovus Energy ( CVE ) and

Imperial Oil ( IMO ), on Thursday projected higher production

in 2025, betting on resilient demand for Canadian crude to U.S.

and international markets.

Fuel demand in the United States, the biggest destination

for Canadian crude, is expected to rise next year as U.S.

industrial activity is likely to get a boost from a cut in

borrowing rates, according to the U.S. Energy Information

Administration.

Calgary, Alberta-based Suncor forecast 2025 production to be

between 810,000 and 840,000 barrels per day (bpd) next year, a

4.4% rise at midpoint compared to projected output for 2024.

Cenovus forecast a 4.4% increase in 2025 crude output,

targeting 805,000 to 845,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day,

primarily driven by the Narrows Lake oil sands asset startup.

Imperial Oil ( IMO ) expects a 3.1% production increase.

The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion which has nearly

tripled oil flow to Canada's Pacific Coast from landlocked

Alberta, is also encouraging producers to increase output in

hopes of shipping more crude to Asian refineries and the U.S.

West Coast.

Suncor also forecast a slight rise in refinery throughput

volumes to between 435,000 and 450,000 bpd in 2025. It expects

refining utilization to be between 93% and 97%.

While Cenovus and Imperial raised 2025 capital spending

expectations marginally, Suncor slightly lowered expected

capital expenditure for 2025 to the range of C$6.1 billion

($4.31 billion) and C$6.3 billion.

Thursday's forecast by the Canadian oil firms follows an

announcement by Exxon Mobil ( XOM ), the majority owner of

Imperial, saying it aims to increase its output by 18% by the

end of the decade.

The Canadian firms also said they planned to boost

production at current sites while simultaneously pursuing new

projects.

($1 = 1.4159 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Sourasis Bose, Arunima Kumar, Vallari Srivastava,

Tanay Dhumal and Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim

Zahid, Shounak Dasgupta and Sriraj Kalluvila)