Saturday, July 12, 2014

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014

Crude oil prices fell to the $102 mark this week, as investors ponder the likelihood of a US government shutdown barreling down the pike.

“A brief disruption to normal US economic activities shouldn’t have much impact on fourth-quarter GDP,” wrote Jim Ritterbusch, head of the energy trading advisory firm Ritterbusch and Associates, in a research note this week. “But the oil market could still get hung up in a broad based reduction in risk appetite if global equities and other asset classes such as the metals see some significant downside.”

Not helping matters is weak economic data from China, the second-largest oil-consuming country behind the United States.

Uncertainty in the oil market may steer investors away from oil and gas stocks, but there is one solid option on the table for value and liquidity-minded investors: dividend paying oil stocks.

Hot Growth Stocks To Watch Right Now: TC PipeLines LP (TCP)

TC PipeLines, LP (the Partnership), incorporated on December 16, 1998, acquires, owns and participates in the management of energy infrastructure businesses in North America. The Company�� pipeline systems transport natural gas in the United States. The Partnership is managed by the Company�� General Partner, which is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of TransCanada. The Company has equity ownership interests in four natural gas interstate pipeline systems. The Company�� pipeline systems include Great Lakes, Northern Border, GTN, Bison, North Baja and Tuscarora. The Company owns 46.45% interest in Great Lakes. Great Lakes connect with the TransCanada Mainline at the Canadian border near Emerson, Manitoba, Canada and St. Clair, Michigan, near Detroit. Great Lakes are a bi-directional pipeline that can receive and deliver natural gas at multiple points along its system. In July 2013, TC PipeLines, LP announced the closing of its acquisition of an additional 45% interest in each of Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN) and Bison Pipeline LLC (Bison) from subsidiaries of TransCanada Corporation.

The Company owns 50% interest in Northern Border. Northern Border Extends between the Canadian borders near Port of Morgan, Montana to a terminus near North Hayden, Indiana, south of Chicago. Northern Border is capable of receiving natural gas from Canada, the Williston Basin and Rockies Basin. The Company owns 25% interest in GTN. GTN extends between an interconnection near Kingsgate, British Columbia, Canada at the Canadian Border to a point near Malin, Oregon at the California border. The Company owns 25% interest Bison. Bison extends from a location near Gillette, Wyoming to Northern Border's pipeline system in North Dakota. The Company owns 100% interest in North Baja. North Baja extends between an interconnection with the El Paso Natural Gas Company pipeline near Ehrenberg, Arizona to an interconnection with a natural gas pipeline near Ogilby, California on the Mexican border. The Compa! ny owns 100% interest in Tuscarora. Tuscarora extends between GTN near Malin, Oregon to its terminus near Reno, Nevada and delivers natural gas in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Duprey]

    For holders of TCF Financials' (NYSE: TCP  ) non-convertible perpetual�7.5% Series A stock, the board of directors announced yesterday investors will receive $0.05 per share on August 30�to holders of record at the close of business on August 15.

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: Regency Energy Partners LP (RGP)

Regency Energy Partners LP (the Partnership), incorporated on September 8, 2005, is engaged in the gathering and processing, contract compression, treating and transportation of natural gas and the transportation, fractionation and storage of natural gas liquids (NGLs). The Partnership operates in five business segments: Gathering and Processing, Joint Ventures, Contract Compression, Contract Treating, and Corporate and Others. Its assets are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, California, Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia and the mid-continent region of the United States, which includes Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma. In May 2013, Regency Energy Partners LP closed the acquisition of Southern Union Gathering Company, LLC from Southern Union Company. In February 2014, Regency Energy Partners LP closed its acquisition of the midstream business of Hoover Energy Partners LP.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, Lone Star NGL LLC (Lone Star), a newly formed joint venture that is owned 70% by Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) and 30% by the Partnership, acquired all of the membership interest in LDH Energy Asset Holdings LLC (LDH), a wholly owned subsidiary of Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy LLC. The Partnership focuses on providing midstream services in some of the most prolific natural gas producing regions in the United States, including the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Fayetteville, Marcellus, Bone Spring, and Avalon shales as well as the Permian Delaware basin and the mid-continent region. The Partnership provides wellhead-to-market services to producers of natural gas, which include transporting raw natural gas from the wellhead through gathering systems, processing raw natural gas to separate NGLs and selling or delivering the pipeline natural gas and NGLs to various markets and pipeline systems.

The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of compressors used to provide turn-key natural gas compression services for customer specific syst! ems. The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of equipment used to provide treating services, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide removal, natural gas cooling, dehydration and BTU management, to natural gas producers and midstream pipeline companies.

Gathering and Processing Operations

The Partnership operates gathering and processing assets in four geographic regions of the United States: north Louisiana, the mid-continent region of the United States, south Texas and west Texas. The Partnership�� north Louisiana assets gather, compress, treat and dehydrate natural gas in five Parishes (Claiborne, Union, DeSoto, Lincoln and Ouachita) of north Louisiana and Shelby County, Texas. Its assets also include two cryogenic natural gas processing facilities, a refrigeration plant located in Bossier Parish, a conditioning plant located in Webster Parish, an amine treating plant in DeSoto Parish, and an amine treating plant in Lincoln Parish. The Partnership�� south Texas assets gather, compress, treat and dehydrate natural gas in LaSalle, Webb, Karnes, Atascosa, McMullen, Frio and Dimmitt counties. The pipeline systems that gather this gas are connected to third-party processing plants and its treating facilities that include an acid gas reinjection well located in McMullen County, Texas.

One of the Partnership�� treating plants consists of inlet gas compression, a 60 one million cubic feet per day amine treating unit, a 55 one million cubic feet per day amine treating unit and a 40 ton (per day) liquid sulfur recovery unit. In January 2012, it completed an expansion of the treating plant, adding an incremental 20 one million cubic feet per day of treating capacity to the facility. The Partnership owns a 60% interest in ELG that includes a treating plant in Atascosa County with a 500 gallons per minute amine treater, pipeline interconnect facilities and approximately 13 miles of ten inch diameter pipeline. Talisman Energy USA Inc. and Statoil Texas Onshore Pro! perties L! P own the remaining 40% interest. It operates this plant and the pipeline for the joint venture while its joint venture partner operates a lean gas gathering system in the Edwards Lime natural gas trend that delivers to this system.

The Partnership�� west Texas gathering system assets offer wellhead-to-market services to producers in Ward, Winkler, Reeves, and Pecos counties, which surround the Waha Hub. The NGL market outlets include Lone Star's west Texas NGL pipeline. It offers producers four different levels of natural gas compression on the Waha gathering system. The Waha processing plant is a cryogenic natural gas processing plant that processes raw natural gas gathered in the Waha gathering system. The Waha processing plant also includes an amine treating facility, which removes carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from raw natural gas gathered before moving the natural gas to the processing plant.

The Partnership�� mid-continent region includes natural gas gathering systems located primarily in Kansas and Oklahoma. Its mid-continent gathering assets are extensive systems that gather, compress and dehydrate low-pressure gas from approximately 1,500 wells. These systems are geographically concentrated, with each central facility located within 90 miles of the others. The Partnership also owns the Hugoton gathering system that has approximately 1,875 miles of pipeline extending over nine counties in Kansas and Oklahoma. This system is operated by a third party. Its mid-continent systems are located in two natural gas producing regions in the United States, the Hugoton Basin in southwest Kansas and the Anadarko Basin in western Oklahoma.

Joint Ventures Operations

The Partnership owns investments in four joint ventures: a 49.99% general partner interest in RIGS Haynesville Partnership Co., a general partnership, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Regency Intrastate Gas LP (HPC); a 50% membership interest in MEP; a 30% membership interest in Lone St! ar, and a! 33.33% membership interest in Ranch JV. HPC owns RIGS, a 450-mile intrastate pipeline that delivers natural gas from northwest Louisiana to downstream pipelines and markets. MEP owns an interstate natural gas pipeline with approximately 500 miles stretching from southeast Oklahoma through northeast Texas, northern Louisiana and central Mississippi to an interconnect with the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line system in Butler, Alabama. Lone Star is an entity owning a diverse set of midstream energy assets, including NGL pipelines, storage, fractionation and processing facilities located in the states of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Contract Compression Operations

The natural gas contract compression segment services include designing, sourcing, owning, installing, operating, servicing, repairing and maintaining compressors and related equipment. These field-wide applications include compression for natural gas gathering and natural gas processing. The Partnership�� contract compression operations are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and California.

Contract Treating Operations

The Partnership owns and operates a fleet of equipment used to provide treating services, such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide removal, natural gas cooling, dehydration and BTU management, to natural gas producers and midstream pipeline companies. Its contract treating operations are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

The Company competes with PELICO Pipeline, LLC (Pelico), ETP, KMP, Chesapeake Midstream Partners, L.P., Enterprise Products Partners LP, DCP Midstream Partners, L.P., Copano Energy, L.L.C, Southern Union Gas Services, Targa Resources Partners L.P., ONEOK Partners L.P., Penn Virginia Resource Partners, L.P., CenterPoint Energy Transmission, Gulf South Pipeline, L.P., Texas Gas Transmission, LLC, Gulf Crossing Pipeline, Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission and Natural Gas Pipeline Co. of America, Ext! erran Hol! dings, Inc., Compressor Systems, Inc., USA Compression, Valerus Compression Services LP, J-W Energy Company, TransTex Gas Services, LP, Cardinal Midstream LLC, SouthTex Treaters, Interstate Treating Inc., Thomas Russell Co. and Spartan Energy Group.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Paul Ausick]

    This deal follows three midstream transactions already this month. Regency Energy Partners LP (NYSE: RGP) will acquire PVR Partners LP (NYSE: PVR) for $5.6 billion, Crestwood Midstream LP (NASDAQ: CMLP) will acquire Arrow Midstream LLC for $750 million, and Buckeye Partners LP (NYSE: BPL) will pay $650 million to Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) for 20 petroleum products terminals along the East Coast.

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: EV Energy Partners LP (EVEP)

EV Energy Partners, L.P. (the Partnership) is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's properties were located in the Barnett Shale, the Appalachian Basin (which includes the Utica Shale), the Mid Continent areas in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Louisiana, the San Juan Basin, the Monroe Field in Northern Louisiana, the Permian Basin, Central and East Texas (which includes the Austin Chalk area), and Michigan. On November 1, 2011, the Company acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Mid Continent area. On December 1, 2011, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.02% proportional interest in these properties. On December 20, 2011, the Company, along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, acquired additional oil and natural gas properties in the Barnett Shale. It acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties. On February 7, 2012, the Company along with certain institutional partnerships managed by EnerVest, had a second closing on the oil and natural gas properties, and acquired a 31.63% proportional interest in these properties.

Barnett Shale

The Barnett Shale properties are located in Denton, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties in Northern Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, was 647.4 one billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), 72% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 35 wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and the Company owns an average 29% working interest in 976 gross productive wells.

Appalachian Basin

The Company�� activities are concentrated in the Ohio and West Virginia areas of the Appalachian Basin. Its Ohio area properties are producing from the Knox and Clinton f! ormations and other Devonian age sands in 41 counties in Eastern Ohio and 11 counties in Western Pennsylvania. Its West Virginia area properties are producing from the Balltown, Benson and Big Injun formations in 23 counties in North Central West Virginia. Its estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 126.4 Bcfe, 76% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 33 grosswells, 26 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 92% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 41% working interest in 8,670 gross productive wells.

Mid-Continent Area

The properties are located in 47 counties in Oklahoma, 17 counties in Texas, four parishes in North Louisiana, one county in Kansas and six counties in Arkansas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 81.2 Bcfe, 63% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled 82 wells, all of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 33% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,864 gross productive wells.

San Juan Basin

The properties are located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico and La Plata County in Colorado. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, 68.6 Bcfe, 59% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled two wells, one of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 94% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 71% working interest in 227 gross productive wells.

Monroe Field

The properties are located in two parishes in Northeast Louisiana. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 60.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it drilled one well, which was completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 100% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 100% working i! nterest i! n 3,930 gross productive wells.

Permian Basin

The properties are located in the Yates, Seven Rivers, Queen, Morrow, Clear Fork and Wichita Albany formations in four counties in New Mexico and Texas. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 54.1Bcfe, 37% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 93% working interest in 160 gross productive wells.

Central and East Texas

The properties produce primarily from the Austin Chalk formation and are located in 30 counties in Central and East Texas. Its portion of the estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011 was 60.9 Bcfe, 46% of which is natural gas. During 2011, the Company drilled 16 gross wells, 15 of which were completed. EnerVest operates wells representing 93% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it owns an average 12% working interest in 1,829 gross productive wells.

Michigan

The properties are located in the Antrim Shale reservoir in Otsego and Montmorency counties in northern Michigan. The Company�� estimated net proved reserves as of December 31, 2011, were 44.9 Bcfe, 100% of which is natural gas. During 2011, it did not drill any wells. EnerVest operates wells representing 99% of its estimated net proved reserves in this area, and it has an average 84% working interest in 370 gross productive wells.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    Houston-based EnerVest has also placed acreage for sale through its master limited partnership EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) , after initial results came in under expectations. The MLP's CEO, Mark Houser, said the decision to sell out of the Utica was because oil production doesn't fit its low-cost business model. �

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    2013 Performance of Alerian MLP Index versus the S&P 500 Index

    While the average MLP investor was probably happy with 2013’s performance, there was of course a wide variation of performance in the MLP world. Among the conventional midstream and upstream MLPs, performance ranged from American Midstream Partners (NYSE: AMID) — the best performing midstream MLP with a gain of 98.5 percent in 2013 — down to the upstream MLP EV Energy Partners (Nasdaq: EVEP), which lost 40 percent for the year.


    2013 Performance of American Midstream Partners versus EV Energy Partners

  • [By Matt DiLallo]

    The big problem is that there aren't a lot of buyers, which is the issue that�EV Energy Partners� (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) has run into with its own Utica sale. With major players like Chesapeake and Devon exiting, and foreign buyers like Sinopec already securing a foothold in the play, there are few buyers left that are willing to risk capital on a play that's no longer viewed as a sure thing. This has left EV Energy stuck with the 100,000 net acres it has been marketing since last year. The company has chosen to change its marketing strategy to sell the acreage in smaller packages to appeal to more buyers.�

  • [By Arjun Sreekumar]

    Analysts expect some $2 billion worth of new projects to be revealed, in addition to the $2 billion of projects that have already been announced.�Major projects that have either been proposed or are under way include a natural gas liquids processing plant�by affiliates of NiSource and Hilcorp Energy; a gathering and processing plant by M3 Midstream LLC, Access Midstream Partners, and EV Energy Partners (NASDAQ: EVEP  ) ; and a proposed pipeline from Ohio to Detroit and Canada, to be built by DTE Energy, Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE  ) and Enbridge.

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: Western Refining Inc.(WNR)

Western Refining, Inc. operates as an independent crude oil refiner and marketer of refined products. The company operates in three segments Refining Group, Wholesale Group, and Retail Group. The Refining Group segment operates two refineries in Texas and Mexico; two stand-alone refined product distribution terminals in New Mexico; and four asphalt terminals in Texas, as well as operates crude oil transportation and gathering pipeline system in New Mexico. It refines various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and other products from crude oil, other feedstocks, and blending components; and acquires refined products through exchange agreements and from various third-party suppliers. This segment sells its products through its wholesale group and service stations, independent wholesalers and retailers, commercial accounts, and sales and exchanges with oil companies. The Wholesale Group segment distributes commercial wholesale petroleum products primarily in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah for retail fuel distributors, as well as for the mining, construction, utility, manufacturing, transportation, aviation, and agricultural industries. The Retail Group segment operates service stations, which include convenience stores or kiosks that sell various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, general merchandise, and beverage and food products to the general public. As of February 24, 2012, it operated 210 service stations with convenience stores or kiosks located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Eric Volkman]

    Western Refining (NYSE: WNR  ) investors are about to find a few more coins in their pockets. The company has declared a Q3 dividend of $0.18 per share, to be paid on Aug. 15 to shareholders of record as of July 31. That amount is exactly 50% higher than Western Refining's previous disbursement of $0.12, which was handed out in early May.

  • [By John Reese]

    Indeed, in 2013, the Greenblatt-based portfolio has bounced back strong, returning more than 50%. Below is a look at its current holdings.

    EBIX, Inc. (EBIX)

    Western Refining (WNR)

    DirecTV (DTV)

    ITT Educational Services (ESI)

    Science Applications International (SAIC)

    Weight Watchers International (WTW)

    ConocoPhillips (COP)

    AmSurg Corp. (AMSG)

    PDL BioPharma (PDLI)

    AFC Enterprises (AFCE)

    Subscribe to Validea here��/p>

  • [By Ben Levisohn]

    Westlake also finds Western Refining (WNR) and�Delek US (DK) interesting, while upgrading�Calumet Specialty Products to Neutral from Underperform as “the themes which drove expected underperformance have now become more visible.”

  • [By Marc Bastow]

    Independent crude oil refiner Western Refining (WNR) raised its quarterly dividend 22.2% to 22 cents per share, payable Nov. 14 to shareholders of record as of Oct. 30.
    WNR Dividend Yield: 2.63%

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: Chevron Corp (CHV)

Chevron Corporation (Chevron), incorporated on January 27, 1926, manages its investments in subsidiaries and affiliates and provides administrative, financial, management and technology support to the United States and international subsidiaries that engage in fully integrated petroleum operations, chemicals operations, mining activities, power generation and energy services. Upstream operations consist primarily of exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas; processing, liquefaction, transportation and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transporting crude oil by international oil export pipelines; transporting, storage and marketing of natural gas, and a gas-to-liquids project. Downstream operations consist primarily of refining crude oil into petroleum products; marketing of crude oil and refined products; transporting crude oil and refined products by pipeline, marine vessel, motor equipment and rail car, and manufacturing and marketing of commodity petrochemicals, plastics for industrial uses and fuel and lubricant additives.

Upstream

At December 31, 2012, Chevron owned or had under lease or similar agreements undeveloped and developed crude oil and natural gas properties worldwide. Upstream activities in the United States are concentrated in California, the Gulf of Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming. During the year ended December 31, 2012, average net oil-equivalent production in the United States was 655,000 barrels per day. In 2012, net daily production averaged 163,000 barrels of crude oil, 70 million cubic feet of natural gas and 4,000 barrels of natural gas liquids (NGLs). During 2012, net daily production for the Company�� combined interests in the Gulf of Mexico shelf and deepwater areas, and the onshore fields in the region, were 153,000 barrels of crude oil, 395 million cubic feet of natural gas and 16,000 barrels of NGL.

The! Company was engaged in various exploration and development activities in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico during 2012. As of December 31, 2012, it had a 50% working interest in Jack and a 51% working interest in St. Malo Field. During 2013, the Company had 42.9% non-operated working interest in the Tubular Bells Field; 20.3% non-operated working interest in the Caesar and Tonga area, and 15.6% non-operated working interest in the Mad Dog II Project. The Company activities in the mid-continental United States include operated and non-operated interests in properties primarily in Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. The Company holds leases in the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, primarily located in southwestern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, and in the Antrim Shale in Michigan. Other Americas is consistd of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Net oil-equivalent production from these countries averaged 230,000 barrels per day during 2012, including the Company�� share of synthetic oil production.

Chevron�� interests in oil sands projects and shale acreage in Alberta, shale acreage and an LNG project in British Columbia, exploration, development and production projects offshore in the Atlantic region, and exploration and discovered resource interests in the Beaufort Sea region of the Northwest Territories. Average net oil-equivalent production during 2012, was 69,000 barrels per day, consisted of 25,000 barrels of crude oil, four million cubic feet of natural gas and 43,000 barrels of synthetic oil from oil sands. During 2012, the Company held a 20% non-operated working interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project (AOSP). In February 2013, Chevron acquired a 50%-owned and operated interest in the Kitimat LNG project and proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline, and a 50% non-operated working interest in 644,000 total acres in the Horn River and Liard shale gas basins in British Colombia; 26.9% non-operated working interest in the Hib! ernia Fie! ld and a 23.6 non-operated working interest in the unitized Hibernia Southern Extension (HSE) offshore Atlantic Canada, and 26.6% non-operated working interest in the heavy-oil Hebron Field, also offshore Atlantic Canada.

In December 2012, Chevron relinquished its 29.2% non-operated working interest in Exploration License 2007/26, which includes Block 4 offshore West Greenland. The Company holds operated interests in four concessions in the Neuquen Basin. Working interests range from 18.8% to 100%. In 2012, the net oil-equivalent production averaged 22,000 barrels per day, consisted of 21,000 barrels of crude oil and four million cubic feet of natural gas. During 2012, two exploratory wells targeting shale gas and tight oil resources were drilled in the Vaca Muerta formation in the El Trapial concession. Chevron holds working interests in three deepwater fields in the Campos Basin: Frade (51.7%-owned and operated), Papa-Terra and Maromba (37.5% and 30% non-operated working interests, respectively). Net oil-equivalent production in 2012 averaged 6,000 barrels per day, consisted of 6,000 barrels of crude oil and two million cubic feet of natural gas.

In Africa, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Angola, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Net oil-equivalent production in Africa averaged 451,000 barrels per day during 2012. In Asia, the Company is engaged in upstream activities in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Myanmar, the Partitioned Zone located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. During 2012, net oil-equivalent production averaged 1,061,000 barrels per day. In Australia, the Company�� upstream efforts are concentrated off the northwest coast. During 2012, the average net oil-equivalent production from Australia was 99,000 barrels per day. In Europe, the Company is engag! ed in ups! tream activities in Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Net oil-equivalent production in Europe averaged 114,000 barrels per day during 2012.

Downstream

The Company markets petroleum products under the principal brands of Chevron, Texaco and Caltex worldwide. In the United States, the Company markets under the Chevron and Texaco brands. During 2012, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,060 Chevron- and Texaco-branded motor vehicle service stations, primarily in the southern and western states. Approximately 470 of these outlets are company-owned or -leased stations. Outside the United States, the Company supplied directly or through retailers and marketers approximately 8,700 branded service stations, including affiliates. In British Columbia, Canada, the Company markets under the Chevron brand. The Company markets in Latin America and the Caribbean using the Texaco brand. In the Asia-Pacific region, southern Africa, Egypt and Pakistan, the Company uses the Caltex brand. The Company also operates through affiliates under various brand names. In South Korea, the Company operates through its 50%-owned affiliate, GS Caltex, and in Australia through its 50%-owned affiliate, Caltex Australia Limited.

The Company owns a 50% interest in its Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC (CPChem) affiliate. During 2012, CPChem owned or had joint-venture interests in 36 manufacturing facilities and two research development centers worldwide. The Company�� Oronite brand lubricant and fuel additives business is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of performance additives for lubricating oils and fuels. The Company owns and operates facilities in Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United States and has interests in facilities in India and Mexico. Oronite lubricant additives are blended into refined base oil to produce finished lubricant packages us! ed primar! ily in engine applications, such as passenger car, heavy-duty diesel, marine, locomotive and motorcycle engines.

Transportation

The Company owns and operates a network of crude oil, refined product, chemical, natural gas liquid and natural gas pipelines and other infrastructure assets in the United States. The Company also has direct and indirect interests in other the United States and international pipelines. All tankers in the Company�� controlled seagoing fleet were utilized during 2012. During 2012, the Company had 51 deep-sea vessels chartered on a voyage basis, or for a period of less than one year. The Company�� the United States-flagged fleet is engaged primarily in transporting refined products between the Gulf Coast and the East Coast and from California refineries to terminals on the West Coast and in Alaska and Hawaii. The foreign-flagged vessels are engaged primarily in transporting crude oil from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the Black Sea, South America, Mexico and West Africa to ports in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. The Company�� foreign-flagged vessels also transport refined products to and from various locations worldwide.

Other Businesses

During 2012, the Company completed the sale of its Kemmerer, Wyoming, surface coal mine and the sale of its 50% interest in Youngs Creek Mining Company, LLC, which was formed to develop a coal mine in northern Wyoming.Chevron also owns and operates the Questa molybdenum mine in New Mexico. During 2012, it had 160 million tons of proven and probable coal reserves in the United States, including reserves of low-sulfur coal. The Company�� Global Power Company manages interests in 11 power assets with a total operating capacity of more than 2,200 megawatts, primarily through joint ventures in the United States and Asia. Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) completed several public sector programs, including a microgrid at the Santa Rita jail in Alameda County, and renewable and e! fficiency! programs for Huntington Beach City School District, South San Francisco Unified School District and Union City, all in California, plus Rootstown Local School District in Ohio. The Company�� energy technology organization supports Chevron�� upstream and downstream businesses by providing technology, services and competency development in earth sciences; reservoir and production engineering; drilling and completions; facilities engineering; manufacturing; process technology; catalysis; technical computing, and health, environment and safety disciplines.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Chris Ciovacco]

    The Energy Select Sector Spider provides exposure to a diversified basket of energy stocks, including Exxon (XOM), Chevron (CHV) and ConocoPhillips (COP). As the chart shows below, XLE has established a bullish weekly trend relative to the broader S&P 500 Index (SPY).

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: Diamondback Energy Inc (FANG)

Diamondback Energy, Inc., incorporated on December 30, 2011, is an independent oil and natural gas company. The Company is focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The Company is the operator of Janey 16H in Upton County with a 3,842 foot lateral in the Wolfcamp B interval. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Janey 16H had produced a total of 48 thousand barrels of oil and 62 million cubic feet of natural gas. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had drilled 193 gross (176 net) wells, and participated in an additional 18 gross (eight net) non-operated wells, in the Permian Basin. Of these 211 gross wells, 191 were completed as producing wells and 20 were in various stages of completion. In the aggregate, as of December 31, 2012, it held interests in 225 gross (201 net) producing well in the Permian Basin.

The Company�� activities are primarily focused on the Clearfork, Spraberry, Wolfcamp, Cline, Strawn and Atoka formations, which it refers to collectively as the Wolfberry play. The Wolfberry play is characterized by high oil and liquids rich natural gas, multiple vertical and horizontal target horizons, extensive production history, long-lived reserves and high drilling success rates. The Wolfberry play is a modification and extension of the Spraberry play, the majority of which is designated in the Spraberry Trend area field. As of December 31, 2012, its estimated proved oil and natural gas reserves were 40,210 million barrels of oil equivalent based on a reserve report prepared by Ryder Scott Company L.P. (Ryder Scott), its independent reserve engineers. Of these reserves, approximately 29.5% are classified as proved developed producing, (PDP). Proved undeveloped (PUD), reserves included in this estimate are from 306 vertical gross well locations on 40-acre spacing and four gross horizontal well locations. As of December 31, 2012, these proved reserves wer! e approximately 65% oil, 21% natural gas liquids and 14% natural gas.

The Company had have 881 identified potential vertical drilling locations on 40-acre spacing based on its evaluation of applicable geologic and engineering data as of December 31, 2012, and had an additional 1,118 identified potential vertical drilling locations based on 20-acre downspacing. It also has identified 731 potential horizontal drilling locations in multiple horizons on its acreage. The Company�� second horizontal well, Kemmer 4209H in Midland County is a non-operated well in which the Company owns a 47% working interest. In 2012, the Kemmer 4209H produced a total of 41 thousand barrels of oil and 45 million cubic feet of natural gas. In addition to the Janey and Kemmer wells, as of February 28, 2013, the Company had three additional horizontal wells in Midland County and four horizontal wells in Upton County in various stages of development. In Midland County, it drilled the ST25-1H well (83% working interest) with a lateral length of 4,617 feet.

In Upton County, the Company drilled three additional wells, the Neal 8-1H (100% working interest) with a lateral length of 7,652 feet, the Neal 8-2H (100% working interest) with a lateral length of 6,658 feet and the Janey 3H (100% working interest) with a lateral length of 4,629 feet. It completed a 32 stage frac on the Neal 8-1H well in January 2013. As of February 26, 2013, flowback operations were underway and for the last seven days the well averaged 806 barrel of oil equivalent per day with a peak rate of 871 barrel of oil equivalent per day with an 85% oil component.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Viper Energy Partners�(NASDAQ: VNOM), a spinoff from�Diamondback Energy�(NASDAQ: FANG). Viper owns mineral rights on 14,804 acres in the Permian Basin in West Texas, and became the first US-listed partnership structured on the basis of royalty payments

  • [By Robert Rapier]

    Viper Energy Partners�(NASDAQ: VNOM) also debuted on June 18, but saw much stronger demand. VNOM is a spinoff from one of the hottest independent oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin,�Diamondback Energy�(NASDAQ: FANG). Since its own IPO in October 2012, Diamondback Energy has rallied more than 400 percent, and its market capitalization has grown to $4.6 billion.

Top Gas Companies To Own For 2014: Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc (ANW)

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc., incorporated on June 6, 2005, is an independent physical supplier and marketer of refined marine fuel from refineries, major oil producers and other sources and resell and deliver these fuels using its bunkering vessels to a broad base of end users, including oil tankers, container ships, drybulk carriers, cruise ships, reefers, LNG/LPG carriers, car carriers, ferries, marine fuel traders, brokers and other users. The Company serves Greece, Gibraltar, the United Arab Emirates, or UAE, Jamaica, Singapore, Northern Europe, Antwerp-Rotterdam-Amsterdam (ARA), Portland, United Kingdom, West Africa, Vancouver, Montreal, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Morocco, Cape Verde and Panama. In December 2013, the Company announced that it has completed the acquisition of the United States East Coast bunkering business of Hess Corp.

The Company provides its customers with a service that requires sophisticated logistical operations designed to meet their strict fuel quality and delivery scheduling needs. The Company owns a double hull Aframax tanker, the Leader, with cargo-carrying capacity of approximately 84,000 deadweight ton (dwt), which operates as a floating storage facility in the United Arab Emirates. The Company also operates a barge, the Mediterranean, with a cargo-carrying capacity of approximately 19,900 dwt, and one single hull bunkering barge, the Tapuit, with a cargo-carrying capacity of approximately 2,500 dwt, which the Company uses as floating storage facilities in Greece and Northern Europe, respectively. In addition, the Company owns and operates one special purpose vessel, the Orion, a 550 dwt tanker, which is based in its Greek market. The Company operates land-based storage facilities in Panama, Tangiers, Las Palmas, and the United Kingdom, where it stores marine fuel in terminals with storage capacity of approximately 27,000, 218,000, 65,000 and 40,000 cubic meters, respectively.

The Company competes with World ! Fuel Services Corporation, Chemoil Corporation, BP Marine, Shell Marine Products, ExxonMobil Marine Fuel, CESPA (Gibraltar) Ltd., Eko Abee., Sekavin S.A., Seka S.A., Jet Oil S.A., Eteka S.A., Nova Bunkers S.A., Vemaoil Company Ltd., Bominflot of Gibraltar Ltd., and Peninsula Petroleum Ltd., ENOC Bunkering (Fujairah) LLC, Akron Trade and Transport, International Supply, and Oil Marketing & Trading Inc., Global Energy Trading Pte. Ltd., Alliance Oil Trading, Searights Maritime Services Pte. Ltd., Equatorial Marine Fuel, Sentek Marine & Trading, Brightoil Petroleum, OW Bunkering, Addax Bunkering Services, Stena Oil, S.K. Shipping, WFS (Falmouth), Marine Petrobulk Ltd., Shell Canada, and Petro Canada and Fujairah National Bunkering Co. LLC.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Travis Hoium]

    What: Shares of marine fueling company Aegean Marine Petroleum Network (NYSE: ANW  ) jumped 12% today after the company was upgraded by an analyst.

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