Topic: How To Invest

Pat: Essential Energy Services Trust. Your thoughts, please.

Article Excerpt

Essential Energy Services Trust, $0.86, symbol ESN.UN on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 59.9 million; Market cap: $40.1 million), provides well-maintenance services to oil and gas producers in western Canada. Essential began trading at $9.65 a unit on Toronto in May 2006, after Avenir Income Trust handed out units of its Essential Energy Services division to Avenir unitholders. Essential operates independently of Avenir. In July 2007, Essential bought four private energy-service companies for $22.3 million: Anderson Well Servicing, Blue-Vac Vacuum Truck Service, Canadian Coil Tubing and Redneck Flushbys. In April 2008, Essential added Builders Energy Services Trust in exchange for units valued at $74 million. In June 2008, Essential’s units dropped 25% after the trust sold its transport division to Mullen Group Income Fund (symbol MTL.UN on Toronto) for $135 million in cash. Without the transport division’s revenue and cash flow, the trust cut its monthly distribution by 70%, to $0.015 from $0.05 a unit. The units now yield 20.9%. Essential’s new strategy is…