Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014

Canadian oil-sands producers may want to sing "I Want to Be Free" right about now. Between the European Union's proposal of a penalty on oil sands consumed in Europe and the political wrangling surrounding TransCanada's (NYSE: TRP  ) Keystone XL pipeline, producers just can't seem to find a market. Even without the political problems, there are still some massive logistics problems facing Canadian oil sands. Let's take a look at one critical issue with Canadian oil sands and how one U.S. energy play could be a savior.

Sweet Sticky Thing
Even though we call everything "crude oil," every source of crude is different. Crude is a collection of hundreds of different types of molecules that are based on the same basic concept: chains or rings of carbon atoms flanked by hydrogen atoms. Depending on where oil comes from, the percentages of these molecule types change, which changes the physical properties -- and the market value -- of these crudes. In the case of the Canadian oil sands, the product is considered a heavy oil/bitumen crude source. This means it has a much higher percentage of long-chain molecules used for products such as lubricants, residual fuels such as home heating oil, and asphalt for roads and roofs. By contrast, lighter oil types, such as what we're seeing from shale oil in the U.S., have more short-chain molecules and will produce a higher percentage of light products, such as gasoline, kerosene, and jet fuel.�

Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014: Tesoro Petroleum Corporation(TSO)

Tesoro Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in refining and marketing petroleum products in the United States. It operates in two segments, Refining and Retail. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feed stocks into transportation fuels, such as gasoline, gasoline blendstocks, jet fuel, and diesel fuel, as well as other products, including heavy fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, petroleum coke, and asphalt. This segment also sells refined products in the wholesale market primarily through independent unbranded distributors; and in the bulk market primarily to independent unbranded distributors, other refining and marketing companies, utilities, railroads, airlines and marine, and industrial end-users. It owns and operates 7 refineries with a combined crude oil capacity of 665 thousand barrels per day. The Retail segment sells gasoline, diesel fuel, and convenience store items through company-operated retail stations, and third-party branded dea lers and distributors in the western United States. As of December 31, 2011, this segment had 1,175 branded retail stations under the Tesoro, Shell, and USA Gasoline brands. The company was formerly known as Tesoro Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Tesoro Corporation in November 2004. Tesoro Corporation was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Dimitra DeFotis]

  Among energy stocks, refiners, whose input costs are rising, were losers: Marathon Petroleum�(MPC) had dropped by 0.72%, while�Valero Energy�(VLO),�HollyFrontier�(HFC) and�Tesoro�(TSO) were down fractionally. Shares of integrated oil-and-gas producer and refiner ExxonMobil (XOM) were up 0.22% to $87.65. Exploration companies have been winners with the price of both oil and natural gas moving higher in July and August.

• [By Ben Levisohn]

  During the past three months, Valero Energy (VLO) has fallen 7.3%, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) has dropped 17% and Tesoro (TSO) has plunged 21%. Phillips 66 (PSX) is off 13% during that period, while HollyFrontier (HFC) is down 7.7%.

Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014: Caiterra International Energy Corp (CTI.V)

CaiTerra International Energy Corporation (Caiterra), formerly Cyterra Capital Corp., is a Canada-based company is engaged in the exploration and development of oil and gas properties. The Company�� project includes Faust, Amadou and Lac La Biche. On March 9, 2012, the Company completed its qualifying transaction with West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP), pursuant to which the Company acquired all of WPP�� working interests in certain petroleum and natural gas leases and an oil sand lease in the Lac La Biche and Amadou Projects located in Alberta, Canada and certain other assets (the QT Oil and Gas Properties) from West Pacific Petroleum Inc. (WPP). On December 17, 2012 the Company acquired the Faust Property located just north of the Swan Hills oil field and south of the Town of Slave Lake.

Top 5 Penny Companies To Own In Right Now: Southern Union Company(SUG)

Southern Union Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the gathering, processing, transportation, storage, and distribution of natural gas in the United States. It operates in three segments: Transportation and Storage, Gathering and Processing, and Distribution. The Transportation and Storage segment engages in the interstate transportation and storage of natural gas in the Midwest and from the Gulf Coast to Florida. It also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminalling and regasification services. The Gathering and Processing segment involves in gathering, treating, processing, and redelivering natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in Texas and New Mexico. It operates a network of approximately 5,500 miles of natural gas and NGL pipelines, 4 cryogenic processing plants with a combined capacity of 415 MMcf/d, and 5 natural gas treating plants with a combined capacity of 585 MMcf/d. The Distribution segment engages in the local distribution of natural gas in Missouri and Massachusetts. This segment serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers through local distribution systems. The company was founded in 1932 and is based in Houston, Texas.

Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014: Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ)

Alon USA Energy, Inc. engages in refining and marketing petroleum products primarily in the South Central, Southwestern, and Western regions of the United States. The company operates in three segments: Refining and Marketing, Asphalt, and Retail. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil into petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, petrochemicals, feed stocks, asphalts, and other petroleum products. It markets finished products and blend stocks through sales and exchanges with other oil companies, state and federal governmental entities, unbranded wholesale distributors, and various other third parties. This segment also markets motor fuels to distributors under the Alon brand; and licenses Alon brand name and provides payment card processing services, advertising programs, and loyalty and other marketing programs to licensed locations. The Asphalt segment is involved in the marketing of patented tire rubber modified asphalt products; and production of paving and roofing grades of asphalt comprising performance-graded asphalts, emulsions, and cutbacks. This segment sells paving asphalt to road and materials manufacturers and highway construction/maintenance contractors; polymer modified or emulsion asphalt to highway maintenance contractors; and roofing asphalt to roofing shingle manufacturers or other industrial users. The Retail segment operates retail convenience stores that offer various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, food products, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise primarily under the 7-Eleven and Alon brands. As of December 31, 2012, it had 298 retail convenience stores located in Central and West Texas, and New Mexico. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Alon USA Energy, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alon Israel Oil Company, Ltd.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Tom Dorsey]

  Over a several day period, I submitted questions and Mr. Eisman, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Alon USA Energy Inc. (ALJ) and the parent company of Alon USA Partners LP Inc. (ALDW) responded. He provided some key insights to some challenges the company faces, where the company is going, and the opportunities available in the future. This insight should provide investors with additional information to understand the value of the company and the opportunity as an investor in the company.

Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014: EXCO Resources NL(XCO)

EXCO Resources, Inc., an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the exploration, exploitation, development, and production of onshore North American oil and natural gas properties with a focus on shale resource plays. The company holds interests in various projects located in East Texas, North Louisiana, Appalachia, and the Permian Basin in west Texas. As of December 31, 2010, it had proved reserves of approximately 1.5 trillion cubic feet equivalent; and operated 7,276 wells. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Dallas, Texas.

Hot Oil Stocks To Invest In 2014: Enbridge Inc(ENB)

Enbridge Inc. engages in the transportation and distribution of crude oil and natural gas primarily in Canada and the United States. Its Liquids Pipelines segment operates common carrier and contract crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and refined products pipelines and terminals. The company?s Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers primarily in central and eastern Ontario, northern New York State, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Enbridge?s Gas Pipelines, Processing and Energy Services segment invests in natural gas pipelines, processing and green energy projects, and commodity marketing businesses, as well as performs commodity storage, transport, and supply management services. Its Sponsored Investments segment transports crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons through common carrier and feeder pipelines, as well as transports, gathers, processes, and markets natural gas and NGLs; operates a crude oil and liqui ds pipeline and gathering system; and owns a 50% interest in the Canadian portion of Alliance Pipeline and partial interests in various green energy investments. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Callum Turcan]

  Bridging the way
  Enbridge (NYSE: ENB  ) currently carries 2.2 million barrels of crude oil and liquids�each day through its vast 15,372 thousand mile pipeline system.Enbridge has recently undergone�a $6.2 billion program to grow shipping capacity in Western Canada and the Bakken by 400,000 bpd. Western Canada is home to the booming oil sands play, so Enbridge is trying to capitalize on two high-growth markets.