Sunday, October 26, 2014

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014

A world economy in sincere recovery, with great improving sings, continues to push up the demand for fossil fuel. It is no secret that oil is the one single most important resource for economic growth. That is the simplest argument for the continued U.S. intervention in the Middle East, and increasing Chinese presence in the African continent. Most importantly, a slowdown of the Chinese economy and comparatively slower recovery of the euro zone, have lifted some pressure form explorers and producers. Nonetheless, Obama�� visit to Saudi Arabia highlights the importance of securing oil resources. Apache (APA) is one of the most geographically diversified companies, and its prospects for growth deserve to be considered after a year of heavy guru trading.

Adjusting Capacity Through Non-Core Assets

Asset sales are not always well received by the market, as the signal can be taken to indicate troubling times. Apache, however, has divested non-non non-performing assets while receiving timid market support at the same time. The announcements concerned assets in Canada and Argentina, the first worth $374 million and the second for $800 million, plus a debt assumption of $52 million. Both transactions are part of a process that began last year to focus on assets in North America that can grow more predictably.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks To Watch For 2015: Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP)

Constellation Energy Partners LLC (CEP) is engaged on the acquisition, development and production of onshore oils and natural gas properties in the United States. All of the Company's proved reserves are located in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama, the Cherokee Basin in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Woodford Shale in the Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma and the Central Kansas Uplift in Kansas and Nebraska. The Company operates its oil and natural gases properties as one business segment: the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's total estimated proved reserves were approximately 201.3 billions of cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), approximately 76% of which were classified as proved developed, and 97% of which are natural gas and 3% of which are oil. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was the operator of approximately 88% of the 2,785 net wells in which the Company owned an interest. In March 2013, it announced sale of its Robinson's Bend Field assets, located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

Black Warrior Basin

The Black Warrior Basin is a coalbed methane basins in the country. The multi-seam vertical wells in the basin range from 500 to 3,700 feet deep, with coal seams averaging a total of 25 to 30 feet of net pay per well. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a 100% working interest (an approximate 75% average net revenue interest) in its wells in the Black Warrior Basin, where the Company had 507 producing natural gas wells. The Black Warrior Basin is located in western Tuscaloosa County and Pickens County, Alabama, and encompasses a surface area of approximately 109 square miles. The field has been developed on 80-acre spacing. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was developing its properties in the field on both 40- and 80-acre spacing. The field has seven compressor stations with 800-1,200 horsepower compressors, approximately 170 miles of gas gathering lines (wells to header) and approximately 25 miles of trans! portation lines (header to compressor). In addition, there are approximately 152 miles of water gathering pipes and 28 miles of water transportation pipes. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Black Warrior Basin were approximately 84.9 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88% of which were classified as proved developed, and all of which are natural gas.

Cherokee Basin

The Cherokee Basin is located in the Mid-Continent region in southern Kansas, northern Oklahoma, and western Missouri. It covers approximately 26,500 square miles. The production is natural gas produced from coals and shales. There are multiple producing coal zones in the Cherokee Basin, including the Rowe, Riverton, Weir-Pitt, and Dawson zones. In addition, there are other productive shale zones, as well as conventional sandstone and limestone potential, which can add natural gas and oil production. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned approximately 2,261 net producing wells in the Cherokee Basin. The Company operates in excess of 20 booster compressors and stations to gets its natural gas to sales points owned by ONEOK Gas Transportation, L.L.C., Scissortail Energy, LLC, Enogex Gas Gathering & Processing, LLC, Enogex Inc., and Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc. The Company operates a substantial portion of its production in the Cherokee Basin. The Company also own a 50% working interest in wells operated by Bullseye Operating, L.L.C. (Bullseye) and a 50% interest in Bullseye itself. Bullseye operates approximately 500 gross wells in Washington and Nowata Counties in Oklahoma and sells its production through the Cotton Valley producers cooperative, Cotton Valley Compression, L.L.C. The Company's gross working interest in its Cherokee Basin properties is approximately 80%, with its average gross working interest in its operated properties being approximately 100% and its average gross working interest in its non-operated Cherokee Basin properties being a! pproximat! ely 50%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Cherokee Basin were approximately 110.7 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 66% of which were classified as proved developed, and 95% of which were natural gas and 5% of which were oil.

Woodford Shale

The Woodford Shale is located in the Arkoma Basin in southern Oklahoma. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned 82 well bores, or approximately 9 net producing wells, located in Coal and Hughes counties. This area is gas-rich and is characterized by multiple productive zones. The production of natural gas in the Woodford Shale comes from shale rock that has been stimulated through fracturing jobs after a horizontal well has been drilled. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's 82 wells had an average gross working interest of 11.3% and an average net revenue interest of 9.1%. Approximately 90% of the wells are operated by affiliates of Devon Energy Corporation (Devon) and Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent, Inc. (Newfield), with the remaining wells operated by three additional companies. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's estimated proved reserves in the Woodford Shale were approximately 5.2 billions of cubic feet equivalent.

Central Kansas Uplift

The Central Kansas Uplift is an oil prone region located in Kansas and southern Nebraska. As of December 31, 2011, the Company had a gross acreage position of 4,345 acres, or approximately 1,050 net acres and the Company owned 39 gross wells, or approximately 8 net producing wells. Murfin Drilling Company, Inc., an oil producer in Kansas, operates all of the Company's wells in this region. During the year ended December 31, 2011, the average gross working interest in the wells is approximately 21% and the average net revenue interest is approximately 17%. As of December 31, 2011, the Company's proved reserves in the Central Kansas Uplift were approximately 0.5 billions of cubic feet equivalent, approximately 88%! of which! were classified as proved developed and all of which were oil.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Rich Smith]

    The bulk of these awards came in the form of a single multiple-award, task-order contract to be shared among several energy companies:

    Constellation Energy Partners LLC's (NYSEMKT: CEP  ) Constellation NewEnergy subsidiary Privately held ECC Renewables LLC Enel Green Power North America, a subsidiary of Italy's Enel SpA LTC Federal LLC Siemens' (NYSE: SI  ) Government Technologies unit

    These five firms are now authorized to bid for individual task orders under an umbrella contract for the procurement of renewable and alternative energy from facilities that are designed, financed, constructed, operated and maintained by private companies on private land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The ceiling value on this contract is $7 billion, thus accounting for 84% of the value of all Pentagon contracts awarded yesterday.

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Frontline Ltd (FRO)

Frontline Ltd., incorporated on June 12, 1992, is a shipping company. The Company is engaged primarily in the ownership and operation of oil tankers and oil/bulk/ore (OBO) carriers. The Company operates tankers of two sizes: very large crude carriers (VLCCs), which are between 200,000 and 320,000 deadweight tons, and Suezmax tankers, which are vessels between 120,000 and 170,000 deadweight tons. As of December 31, 2010, its tanker and OBO fleet consisted of 73 vessels. The fleet consists of 44 VLCCs, which are either owned or chartered in, 21 Suezmax tankers, which are either owned or chartered in and eight Suezmax OBOs, which are chartered in. The Company also had five VLCC newbuildings and two Suezmax newbuildings on order and three VLCCs under its commercial management. In February 2010, it purchased the VLCC Front Vista from Ship Finance International Limited (Ship Finance). In January 2011, it sold the VLCC Front Shanghai.

The Company operates through subsidiaries and partnerships located in the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, India, the Isle of Man, Liberia, Norway, the United Kingdom and Singapore. The Company is also engaged in the charter, purchase and sale of vessels. In April 2010, the Company delivered the single hull Suezmax Front Voyager. During the year ended December 31, 2010, six newbuildings were completed. Four Suezmax vessels were delivered: the Northia, on January 5, 2010; the Naticina, on March 9, 2010; the Front Odin, on May 5, 2010, and the Front Njord on August 12, 2010. Two VLCCs were delivered: the Front Cecilie on June 10 and the Front Signe on August 9, 2010. As of December 31, 2010, the Company's newbuilding program consisted of two Suezmax tankers and five VLCCs.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Tyler Crowe]

    Oil tankers could also see a benefit as well. With potential of the SUMED pipeline being shut down, it would mean that tankers would need to increase traffic by 2 million barrels per day and increase its shipment times as much as LNG tankers.�Norway's�Frontline� (NYSE: FRO  ) , the world's largest oil tanker fleet, has day rates of about $25,000 for its oil carriers, so it's not as much of a win as LNG carriers. Also, higher fuel prices for all shipments will eat into that revenue boost.�

  • [By Dan Caplinger]

    The reason for the disconnect between earnings and stock performance has to do with the changing fundamentals for shipping overall. For years, shipping companies both on the dry-bulk and the tanker side of the industry have suffered from weakness in the global economy after having built huge numbers of new ships during better times. That forced Overseas Shipholding Group to seek bankruptcy protection late last year and has left tanker giant Frontline (NYSE: FRO  ) under considerable financial pressure as it continues to labor under a substantial debt load.

  • [By Karee Venema]

    One equity that falls under the small-cap umbrella, and looks poised to benefit from a contrarian boon is shipping concern Frontline Ltd. (FRO).

    Shares of Frontline have more than doubled in value since hitting a decade-plus low of $1.71 last May. In fact, the stock tagged a new annual high of $5.18 in early January.

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Technip (TKPPY)

Technip SA (Technip), incorporated on April 21, 1958, is a holding company. Technip is engaged in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry, and holds a portfolio of solutions and technologies. The Company operates in two segments: Subsea, and Onshore/Offshore. Its main markets include onshore plants, offshore platforms and subsea construction. As of December 31, 2011, the Company was present in 48 countries, and had industrial assets on continents and operates a fleet of vessels for pipeline installation and subsea construction. As of February 29, 2012, its production facilities (for flexible pipes and umbilicals), manufacturing yards and spoolbases were located in Angola, Brazil, France, the United States, Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Norway and the United Kingdom. As of December 31, 2011, its fleet consisted of 34 vessels in subsea rigid and flexible pipelines, subsea construction and diving support, four of which were under construction. Technip operates in seven regions, which include Middle East, Europe, Russia, Central Asia, Americas, Asia Pacific and Africa. On August 31, 2012, the Company announced the completion of the Stone & Webster process technologies and associated oil and gas engineering capabilities acquisition from The Shaw Group Inc.

On December 1, 2011, Technip acquired 100% of the shares of Global Industries, Ltd (Global Industries). On November 14, 2011, Technip acquired 45.70% of Cybernetix S.A. On July 28, 2011, Technip acquired 100% of AETech. On February 28, 2011, Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants Ltd, a subsidiary of the Company, acquired EPD. On January 26, 2011, Technip acquired all of the assets of the Subocean group, a United Kingdom-based subsea cable-installation company engaged in marine renewable energies. On January 24, 2011, Technip acquired Front End Re, a reinsurance company.

Technip provides integrated design, engineering, manufacturing and installation services for infrastructures and subsea pipe systems! used in oil and gas production and transportation. With respect to hydrocarbon field development, Technip�� subsea operations include the design, manufacture and installation of rigid and flexible subsea pipelines, as well as umbilicals. The Company offers a range of subsea pipe technologies and solutions, and holds industrial and operational assets. As of December 31, 2011, Technip had three flexible pipe manufacturing plants, four umbilical production units, four reeled rigid pipe spoolbases and a evolving fleet of vessels for pipeline installation and subsea construction. The Company�� services include the turnkey delivery of these subsea systems, particularly, offshore work (pipelay and subsea construction) and the manufacture of critical equipment, such as umbilicals and flexible pipes.

Technip also handles the supply of other subsea equipment and the procurement of rigid pipes that the Company acquires from third parties on an international bid. In addition, to the engineering and installation of systems, Subsea activities also include the maintenance and repair of existing subsea infrastructures and the replacement or removal of subsea equipment. Technip performs the engineering and manufacturing of the flexible pipes. Its flexible pipes engineering centers are in Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Oslo, Aberdeen, Kuala Lumpur, Perth and Houston. It has manufacturing units in Vitoria (Brazil), in Le Trait (France) and it has Asiaflex Products center in Johor Bahru (Malaysia). During the year ended December 31, 2011, Technip initiated the fabrication of a second flexible plant in Brazil, within the Porto do Acu development.

The Company is engaged in engineering and construction for the range of onshore facilities for the oil and gas industry, including refining, hydrogen, gas treatment and liquefaction, ethylene and petrochemicals, onshore pipelines, as well as non-oil facilities, including mining and metallurgical projects, biofuels, wind offshore and renewable energy. Techni! p holds s! everal technologies and it designs and constructs of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas treatment plants. The Company also designs and builds infrastructures related to hydrogen production units, electricity units and sulfur recovery units, as well as storage units. It designs and builds types of facilities for the development of onshore oil and gas fields, from wellheads to processing facilities and product export systems. In addition to participating in the development of onshore fields, Technip also renovates existing facilities. Technip builds pipeline systems chiefly for natural gas, crude oil and oil products, water and liquid sulfur.

Technip offers a range of services to clients who wish to produce, process, fractionate and market the products of natural gas. The majority of business conducted pertains to the liquefaction of methane. Services provided by Technip to its customers range from feasibility studies to construction of entire industrial complexes. The Company manages aspects of projects from the preparation of feasibility studies to the design, construction and start-up of complex refineries or single refinery units. In 2011, Technip had been engaged in developing its footprint in the fast growing renewable energies market. Technip also offers its engineering and construction services to industries other than oil and gas, principally to mining and metal companies. As of February 29, 2012, its clients included oil companies, such as BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Shell, Statoil and Total, and number of national companies, such as ADNOC, PDVSA, Petrobras, Petronas, Qatar Petroleum, Saudi Aramco and Sonatrach, as well as independent companies, such as Anadarko.

Technip designs, manufactures and installs fixed and floating platforms that support surface facilities for the drilling, production and processing of oil and gas reserves located in offshore shallow water fields, as well as deep water fields. Technip is also builds complex facilities, including ! the float! ing production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units and floating LNG (FLNG). Fixed platforms include topsides supported by conventional jackets, gravity base structure (GBSs) and the TPG 500 (a jack-up production platform). Floating platforms include topsides supported by Spars, tension leg platforms (TLPs), semi-submersibles, as well as solutions, such as the extendable draft platform (EDP). In addition, Technip owns technologies for installing topsides using the floatover method for fixed and floating platforms. During 2011, in the North Sea area, Technip started engineering on Statoil�� Valemon project in the Norwegian sector.

The Company competes with Subsea 7, Aker Solutions, Allseas, Heerema, Helix, McDermott, Saipem, Sapura-Clough, NKT-Flexibles, Prysmian, Nexans, Oceaneering, Wellstream, Bechtel, CB&I, Fluor, Foster Wheeler, Jacobs, KBR, Chiyoda, JGC, Toyo, Petrofac, Saipem, Tecnicas Reunidas, GS, Samsung Engineering, SK, Aker Solutions, Hyundai, Daewoo, Samsung Heavy Industry, SBM and Modec.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Ben Rooney]

    Political risks lurk: The big risk for Europe's recovery remains an escalation in the dispute with Russia over Ukraine. EU officials are due to present options for much tougher sanctions Thursday, including measures that could restrict Russia's access to European financial markets, as well as arms and energy technology. France's Technip (TKPPY) said sanctions may hurt its profit margins this year.

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Clayton Williams Energy Inc (CWEI)

Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. (CWEI), incorporated on December 27, 1991, is an independent oil and gas company engaged in the exploration for and production of oil and natural gas primarily in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. The Company operates in two segments: oil and gas exploration and production and contract drilling services. As of December 31, 2012, its portfolio of oil and natural gas reserves is weighted in favor of oil, with approximately 77% of its proved reserves consisting of oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs) and approximately 23% consisting of natural gas. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company added proved reserves of 20,443 million barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE) through extensions and discoveries, had downward revisions of 6,615 MBOE and had purchases of minerals-in-place of 3,504 MBOE and had a sales of minerals-in-place of 725 MBOE. As of December 31, 2012, CWEI held interests in 3,031 gross (1749 net) producing oil and gas wells and owned leasehold interests in approximately 951,000 gross (471,000 net) undeveloped acres. On March 14, 2012, its wholly owned subsidiary, Southwest Royalties, Inc. (SWR), completed the mergers of each of the 24 limited partnerships, of which SWR is the general partner (SWR Partnerships) into SWR.

Permian Basin

The Company�� Permian Basin is a sedimentary basin in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. The Permian Basin covers an area approximately 250 miles wide and 350 miles long and contains commercial accumulations of oil and gas in multiple stratigraphic horizons at depths ranging from 1,000 feet to over 25,000 feet. During 2012, the Company drilled and completed 87 gross (80.2 net) operated wells in the Permian Basin and conducted various remedial operations on other wells. As of December 31, 2012, the Company had two rigs in this area.

Giddings Area

The Company�� Austin Chalk formation is an upper Cretaceous geologic formation in the Gulf Coast region of the United States th! at stretches across numerous fields in Texas and Louisiana. The Austin Chalk formation is generally encountered at depths of 5,500 to 7,000 feet. Horizontal drilling is the primary technique used in the Austin Chalk formation. Its wells in this area were drilled as horizontal wells, many with multiple laterals in different producing horizons, including the Austin Chalk, Buda and Georgetown formations in East Central Texas. The Eagle Ford Shale formation lies immediately beneath the Austin Chalk formation where the Company have approximately 177,000 net acres in production. As of December 31, 2012, the Company is using one of its drilling rigs in the Giddings Area to drill horizontal wells in the Eagle Ford Shale formation.

South Louisiana

During 2012, the Company drilled and completed the Hassinger ETAL #1, an exploratory well in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The Company plan to commence drilling operations on the Macon Stringer Heirs #1, an exploratory well in Terrebonne Parish in 2013.

Natural Gas Services

The Company owns an interest in and operates natural gas service facilities in the states of Texas and Louisiana. These natural gas service facilities consist of interests in approximately 314 miles of pipeline, three treating plants, one dehydration facility, and seven wellhead type treating and/or compression stations. Its operated gas gathering and treating activities exist to facilitate the transportation and marketing of its operated oil and gas production.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Seth Jayson]

    Clayton Williams Energy (Nasdaq: CWEI  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings around April 24. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

    The 10-second takeaway
    Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Clayton Williams Energy's revenues will decrease -8.9% and EPS will shrink -32.8%.

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Marquee Energy Ltd (MQL)

Marquee Energy Ltd. (Marquee), formerly Marquee Petroleum Ltd., is a junior oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves in Western Canada. The Company is focused on the Cardium play of West Central Alberta in the Wilesden Green, Carrot Creek and South Pembina areas. As of December 31, 2011, the Company owned a total of approximately 174,420 gross acres (147,875 net acres) of oil and natural gas leases. In December 2013, it acquired all of the Western Canadian assets of Sonde Resources Corp. (Sonde), including all of its Southern Alberta properties. The Assets are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. In March 2014, Marquee Energy Ltd completed the acquisition of strategic assets in its oil focused Michichi core area. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By John Udovich]

    Sonde Resources Corp. An oil and gas exploration and production company based in Calgary, Alberta, Sonde Resources Corp held a global portfolio of high potential energy assets including producing oil and natural gas assets in Western Canada and offshore exploration property in North Africa.�Specifically, Sonde Resources Corp had�226,119 gross undeveloped acres in Western Canada and 750,000 acres in a Libya/Tunisia offshore licence. However and last November,�an agreement between Sonde Resources Corp and�Marquee Energy Ltd (CVE: MQL) was announced whereby�the latter�will acquire substantially all of the former���Western Canadian assets, including all of its Southern Alberta properties. These assets�are primarily located in Marquee's core area at Michichi, Alberta, immediately offsetting Marquee's lands and production. Under the deal which concluded at the end of last year, Sonde Resources Corp received 21,182,492 common shares of Marquee Energy Ltd plus $15 million cash with the�shares�being distributed to Sonde Resources Corp's shareholders and Sonde itself retaining the cash�received. In addition, Sonde Resources Corp will retain ownership of about 100,000 net acres of Western Canada exploration assets, split approximately equally between its Eaglesham area Wabamun play and west central Alberta Duvernay play.�Moreover, the company will continue to seek strategic alternatives for this Western Canada exploration acreage, including cash sales, farm-outs, other forms of merger, or other options. Otherwise, Sonde Resources Corp�� business�will focus on�the development of the Zarat field and exploration of the Joint Oil Block in North Africa. On Tuesday, small cap Sonde Resources Corp fell 1.83% to $0.530 (SOQ has a 52 week trading range of $0.51 to $2.11 a share) for a market cap of $29.72 million plus the stock is down 70.5% over the past year and down 55.8% over the past five years.

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Groundstar Resources Ltd (GSA)

Groundstar Resources Limited (Groundstar) is a development-stage oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in exploration, development and production opportunities in international areas of interest. Through its subsidiaries, the Company�� primary operations are related to its interests in a production sharing contract in Kurdistan (Iraq), concession agreements in Egypt and a petroleum prospecting license in Guyana. Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By Damian Illia]

    The company�� revenues come from the fees charged for operating different domain names. Most domain names��fees are charged as per agreement terms with ICANN; however, fees received for operating the .gov registry are based on the terms of agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). As of September 2013, revenues of $125.9 million came from active domain names ending with .com and .net. Even though the company has presence all over the globe, the U.S. contributes 64.8% of revenues, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) contribute 15.5%, Australia, China, India and other Asia Pacific countries (APAC), 15.0%, and other countries such as Canada or Latin American countries, contribute 4.7%. Competition is increasing, especially with Latin script ccTLD registries and IDN ccTLD registries, as well as with other name service providers such as Neustar Inc. (NSR) or ARI Registry Services, and search engine providers such as Google Inc. (GOOG) Microsoft, Corp. (MSFT).

Top 10 Oil Companies For 2014: Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc (HLX)

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc.( Helix), incorporated on November 17,1983, is an international offshore energy company that provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on its growing well intervention and robotics operations. The Company had had two business segments: Contracting Services and Production Facilities. Its Contracting Services seek to provide services and methodologies which it believes are critical to developing offshore reservoirs and maximizing production economi regions. Its Production Facilities segment consists of its majority ownership of a dynamically positioned floating production vessel ( Helix Producer I or HP I). In June 2013, Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc closed the previously announced sale of its pipelay vessel, the Caesar, to Trevaskis Ltd.

In January 2012, it sold its oil and gas properties within the Main Pass area of the Gulf of Mexico. On September 26, 2012, the Company sold its pipelay vessel, Intrepid, to Stabbert Maritime Holdings, LLC. On February 6, 2013, it sold Energy Resource Technology GOM, Inc. (ERT), a former wholly-owned United States subsidiary that conducted its oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Contracting Services Operations

The Company provides services and methodologies which it believes are critical to developing offshore reservoirs and maximizing production economics. Its life of field services are segregated into four disciplines: well intervention, robotics, subsea construction and production facilities. It provides a full range of contracting services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions primarily in deepwater.

The Company's services include production, which includes inspection, repair and maintenance of production structures, trees, jumpers, risers, pipelines and subsea equipment, well intervention, life of field support and intervention engineering; reclamation and remediation services include pluggin! g and abandonment services, pipeline abandonment services and site inspections; installation of subsea pipelines, flowlines, control umbilicals, manifold assemblies and risers, pipelay and burial, installation and tie-in of riser and manifold assembly, commissioning, testing and inspection, and cable and umbilical lay and connection. It provides oil and natural gas processing services to oil and natural gas companies, primarily those operating in the deepwater of the Gulf of Mexico using its HP I vessel. The HP I is being utilized to process production from the Phoenix.

The Company engineers, manages and conducts well construction, intervention and asset retirement operations in water depths ranging from 200 to 10,000 feet. Three of its vessels serve as work platforms for well intervention services at costs that are typically significantly less than offshore drilling rigs. In the Gulf of Mexico, its multi-service semi-submersible vessel, the Q4000, has set a series of well intervention firsts in increasingly deeper water without the use of a traditional drilling rig. In August 2012, it acquired the Discoverer 534 drillship from a subsidiary of Transocean Ltd.

The Company operates remotely operated vehicles ( ROVs), trenchers and ROVDrills designed for offshore construction and well intervention services. As global marine construction support moves to deeper water. Its chartered vessels add value by supporting deployment of its ROVs. It provides its customers with vessel availability and schedule flexibility to meet the technological challenges of their subsea activities worldwide. Its robotics assets include 49 ROVs, four trencher systems and two ROVDrills. It operate in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea, Asia Pacific and West Africa regions. It charters four vessels to support its robotics operations and it has engaged additional vessels on short-term (spot) charters as needed. In 2012, its robotics operations had 377 vessel utilization days and 16% of global revenues derived from! alternat! ive energy contracts. Subsea construction services include the use of umbilical lay and pipelay vessels and ROVs to develop fields in the deepwater.

The Company owns interests in two production facilities in hub locations where there is potential for subsea tieback activity. It has invested in two over-sized facilities that allow the operators of these fields to tie back without burdening the operator of the hub reservoir. It owns a 50% interest in Deepwater Gateway, which owns the Marco Polo TLP located in 4,300 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. It also owns a 20% interest in Independence Hub which owns the Independence Hub platform, a 105-foot deep draft, semi-submersible platform located in a water depth of 8,000 feet that serves as a regional hub for up to one billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas production per day from multiple ultra-deepwater fields in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The Company competes with Oceaneering International, Inc., Saipem S.p.A., Fugro N.V., DOF ASA, Aker Solutions ASA, Subsea 7 S.A., Technip, McDermott International, Inc., Island Offshore and Edison Chouest Offshore Companies.

Advisors' Opinion:
  • [By David Smith]

    Helix Energy Solutions Group (NYSE: HLX  )
    At $2.70 billion in market capitalization, Helix is equidistant between Flotek and Superior from a size perspective. The company operates through two segments: contracting services and production facilities.

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