Suncor Energy Q4 profit triples

* Q4 EPS C$0.87 vs C$0.51 forecast
* Q4 Total upstream production averaged 625,600 boe a day

Feb 2 (Reuters) - Suncor Energy Inc. (SU.TO: Quote), Canada's biggest energy company, on Wednesday said fourth-quarter profit almost tripled, helped by improved margins and higher refined product sales.
Suncor, which late last year signed a deal with French oil major Total (TOTF.PA: Quote) to jointly develop several oil sands projects, reported quarterly net earnings of C$1.35 billion ($1.36 billion) or 87 Canadian cents a share, up from year-earlier C$457 million, or 29 Canadian cents a share.
Suncor had been expected to earn 51 Canadian cents a share, the average of analysts' estimates surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Cash flow almost doubled to C$2.14 billion, or C$1.37 a share, from C$1.13 billion, or C$0.72 a share, in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Suncor, known for its dominant position in the Alberta oil sands, and its rivals benefited from oil prices that averaged $85.24 in the quarter, up 12 percent from the year before. North American natural gas prices were down about a fifth, however.
Total upstream production averaged 625,600 barrels of oil equivalent a day, down from 638,200 barrels of oil equivalent a day, in the fourth quarter of 2009. ($1=.9919 Canadian Dollar) (Reporting by Fareha Khan; Editing by Erica Billingham, sourced reuters)