oil prices
U.S. oil production is up 40% since 2008. That’slargely because of new technologies like hydraulicfracturing, or fracking. This involves injecting water,sand and chemicals to break up shale and other tightrock formations and allow access to the oil and gas.
The global economy continues to recover from therecession, so rising demand from industry and consumersshould help stabilize oil and gas prices, even asoutput from shale increases.
The best way to profit from this volatile industry isthrough companies with high-quality reserves and diverseoperations, such as these four....
The global economy continues to recover from therecession, so rising demand from industry and consumersshould help stabilize oil and gas prices, even asoutput from shale increases.
The best way to profit from this volatile industry isthrough companies with high-quality reserves and diverseoperations, such as these four....
DEVON ENERGY CORP. $54.13 (New York symbol DVN; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (405-235- 3611; www.dvn.com; Shares outstanding: 406.0 million; Market cap: $22.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%) is one of the largest U.S.-based oil and natural gas explorers and producers....
CENOVUS ENERGY INC.$28 (New York symbol CVE;Conservative Growth Portfolio,Resources sector; Sharesoutstanding: 755.6 million;Market cap: $21.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetworkRating: Average; www.cenovus.com) gets half itsoutput from the western Canadian oil sands.Conventional oil and gas wells supply the other half.
U.S.-based Phillips 66 (New York symbol PSX)owns 50% of Cenovus’s main Foster Creek and ChristinaLake oil sands projects in Alberta. These assetsproduce heavy bitumen, which Cenovus ships to its50%-owned refineries in Illinois and Texas. Phillips 66owns the other 50% of these operations.
In the first three months of 2013, Cenovus produced271,100 barrels of oil equivalent a day (66% oil and34% gas), up 3.1% from 262,900 barrels a year earlier.However, lower oil prices cut Cenovus’s revenueby 5.4%, to $4.3 billion from $4.6 billion a year earlier(all amounts except share price and market cap inCanadian dollars).
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U.S.-based Phillips 66 (New York symbol PSX)owns 50% of Cenovus’s main Foster Creek and ChristinaLake oil sands projects in Alberta. These assetsproduce heavy bitumen, which Cenovus ships to its50%-owned refineries in Illinois and Texas. Phillips 66owns the other 50% of these operations.
In the first three months of 2013, Cenovus produced271,100 barrels of oil equivalent a day (66% oil and34% gas), up 3.1% from 262,900 barrels a year earlier.However, lower oil prices cut Cenovus’s revenueby 5.4%, to $4.3 billion from $4.6 billion a year earlier(all amounts except share price and market cap inCanadian dollars).
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CENOVUS ENERGY INC., $29.59, Toronto symbol CVE, is selling its Shaunavon shale oil property in Saskatchewan. This field produces 3,600 barrels a day, or about 2% of Cenovus’s total oil production. The company will receive $240 million when the deal closes in July 2013. That’s equal to 61% of the $391 million, or $0.52 a share, that Cenovus earned in the three months ended March 31, 2013. The sale is part of Cenovus’s plan to sell some of its less-important operations. The company also expects to sell its Bakken shale oil property in Saskatchewan in the next few months. It will probably use the cash from these deals to expand its main oil sands operations in Alberta....
CIMAREX ENERGY $71.16 (New York symbol XEC; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (303-295-3995; www.cimarex.com; Shares outstanding: 86.5 million; Market cap: $6.3 billion; Dividend yield: 0.8%) produces and explores for natural gas and oil. Gas makes up 49% of its output.
Cimarex’s properties are in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S., which includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas (55% of production); the Permian Basin of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico (42%); and the Texas Gulf Coast (3%).
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Cimarex’s production averaged 661.1 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day (including oil). That’s up 9.5% from 603.5 million cubic feet a year earlier. Thanks to the higher production, Cimarex’s cash flow per share fell just 4.2%, to $3.38 from $3.53, despite lower oil prices.
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Cimarex’s properties are in the Mid-Continent region of the U.S., which includes Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas (55% of production); the Permian Basin of western Texas and southeastern New Mexico (42%); and the Texas Gulf Coast (3%).
In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Cimarex’s production averaged 661.1 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day (including oil). That’s up 9.5% from 603.5 million cubic feet a year earlier. Thanks to the higher production, Cimarex’s cash flow per share fell just 4.2%, to $3.38 from $3.53, despite lower oil prices.
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DEVON ENERGY CORP. $54.13 (New York symbol DVN; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (405-235- 3611; www.dvn.com; Shares outstanding: 406.0 million; Market cap: $22.5 billion; Dividend yield: 1.6%) is one of the largest U.S.-based oil and natural gas explorers and producers. Its production mix is 59% gas and 41% oil.
In 2011, Devon sold all of its international and Gulf of Mexico properties, which it saw as risky and expensive to develop. The company is now focused on its North American projects, which include conventional production, shale oil in Texas and oil sands in Alberta.
Devon has formed joint ventures to cut the risk of its big development projects. Last year, it sold a onethird stake in five shale oil and gas fields to giant Chinese state-owned petroleum and chemical company Sinopec for $2.2 billion. As well, Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. bought 30% of the Cline and Wolfcamp shales in Texas for $1.4 billion.
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In 2011, Devon sold all of its international and Gulf of Mexico properties, which it saw as risky and expensive to develop. The company is now focused on its North American projects, which include conventional production, shale oil in Texas and oil sands in Alberta.
Devon has formed joint ventures to cut the risk of its big development projects. Last year, it sold a onethird stake in five shale oil and gas fields to giant Chinese state-owned petroleum and chemical company Sinopec for $2.2 billion. As well, Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. bought 30% of the Cline and Wolfcamp shales in Texas for $1.4 billion.
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CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $31 (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 755.6 million; Market cap: $23.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 3.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.cenovus.com) operates three heavy oil projects in Alberta and one in Saskatchewan. It gets about half of its output from the oil sands. Conventional oil and natural gas wells supply the other half.
U.S.-based ConocoPhillips (New York symbol COP) owns 50% of Cenovus’s main Foster Creek and Christina Lake oil sands projects in Alberta. These properties produce heavy bitumen, which Cenovus ships to its 50%-owned refineries in Illinois and Texas. ConocoPhillips recently spun off its refining operations as a separate company called Phillips 66 (New York symbol PSX). This new firm owns the other 50% of these refineries.
Cenovus continues to increase its oil sands output. In the first three months of 2013, it produced 271,100 barrels of oil equivalent a day (66% oil and 34% gas), up 3.1% from 262,900 barrels a year earlier.
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U.S.-based ConocoPhillips (New York symbol COP) owns 50% of Cenovus’s main Foster Creek and Christina Lake oil sands projects in Alberta. These properties produce heavy bitumen, which Cenovus ships to its 50%-owned refineries in Illinois and Texas. ConocoPhillips recently spun off its refining operations as a separate company called Phillips 66 (New York symbol PSX). This new firm owns the other 50% of these refineries.
Cenovus continues to increase its oil sands output. In the first three months of 2013, it produced 271,100 barrels of oil equivalent a day (66% oil and 34% gas), up 3.1% from 262,900 barrels a year earlier.
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SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $32 (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.5 billion; Market cap: $48.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www. suncor.com) recently agreed to sell its conventional natural gas operations in Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and southern Saskatchewan for $1 billion. The deal does not include Suncor’s undeveloped shale gas and oil properties in B.C. and Alberta.
The cash from this sale prompted Suncor to raise its quarterly dividend by 53.8%, to $0.20 a share from $0.13. The new annual rate of $0.80 yields 2.5%. The company also plans to buy back up to $2 billion of its shares over the next five months.
In addition, Suncor continues to expand its oil sands operations. In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the company produced an average of 596,100 barrels of oil equivalent (including gas) a day. That’s up 6.0% from 562,300 barrels a year earlier.
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The cash from this sale prompted Suncor to raise its quarterly dividend by 53.8%, to $0.20 a share from $0.13. The new annual rate of $0.80 yields 2.5%. The company also plans to buy back up to $2 billion of its shares over the next five months.
In addition, Suncor continues to expand its oil sands operations. In the three months ended March 31, 2013, the company produced an average of 596,100 barrels of oil equivalent (including gas) a day. That’s up 6.0% from 562,300 barrels a year earlier.
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SHERRITT INTERNATIONAL $4.74 (Toronto symbol S; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (1-800-704-6698; www.sherritt.com; Shares outstanding: 296.9 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; Dividend yield: 3.6%) reported cash flow of $0.20 a share in the three months ended March 31, 2013....
Canadian Oil Sands, $20.42, symbol COS on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 484.6 million; Market cap: $9.9 billion; www.cdnoilsands.com), has a 36.74% stake in Syncrude Canada Ltd. Canadian Oil Sands’ share of Syncrude’s oil production is about 109,000 barrels a day. In the three months ended March 31, 2013, Canadian Oil Sands produced 95,683 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down 11.4% from 108,108 barrels a year earlier. That’s because Syncrude’s oil extraction and processing facilities experienced several unplanned outages. These issues are now resolved. The production drop, as well as lower oil prices, pushed down Canadian Oil Sands’ cash flow per share by 39.4% in the latest quarter, to $0.57 from $0.94 a year earlier....