Excess free funds flow to shareholders The company also made significant headway in paying down debt during the quarter, slashing net debt by 30 per cent to $5.3 billion by Sept. 30. Cenovus has previously said that once it reaches a net debt target of $4 billion, the company will aim to return 100 per cent of that quarter’s excess free funds flow to shareholders — a milestone some analysts say could be reached this quarter.