Investment banks often provide a list of their "Best Buy" ideas as the year rolls along. Stifel Nicolaus recently let investors in on seven of its best energy ideas which included Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ -0.10%), EOG Resources (EOG 0.04%) and Southwestern Energy (SWN 0.89%). Looking at the list of seven companies, our energy analysts decided to rank their top three oil and natural gas producers.

All of these energy companies have the majority of their operations in the United States. EOG Resources is a leading producer in the Eagle Ford, while Southwestern Energy is a top name in Marcellus shale natural gas production. Was the recent ruling against Anadarko Petroleum a factor in our analysts rankings of Stifel's choices? Check out the short clip below to find out. 

3 stock picks to ride America's energy bonanza
Record oil and natural gas production is revolutionizing the United States' energy position. Finding the right plays while historic amounts of capital expenditures are flooding the industry will pad your investment nest egg. For this reason, the Motley Fool is offering a look at three energy companies using a small IRS "loophole" to help line investor pockets. Learn this strategy, and the energy companies taking advantage, in our special report "The IRS Is Daring You To Make This Energy Investment." Don't miss out on this timely opportunity; click here to access your report -- it's absolutely free. 

This segment is from Tuesday's edition of "Digging for Value," in which sector analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss energy and materials news with host Alison Southwick. The twice-weekly show can be viewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It can also be found on Twitter, along with our extended coverage of the energy & materials sectors @TMFEnergy.