Daniel Gibbs

Gold has been one of the better performing assets since the Federal Reserve announced the taper in December. Here are a few ways that you can take advantage of the trend.

North Atlantic Drilling has a strong contract position that should allow it to weather any market difficulties in 2014. In addition, the growing demand for the company's rigs from areas such as Russia and Norway should allow it to secure contracts for the years following 2014.

Statoil's drill stem test on the Zafarani reservoir off the coast of Tanzania has greatly surpassed expectations. This shows that the deposit could produce a large amount of oil and help the company become a major supplier of natural gas to the rapidly growing Asian market.

Total offers one of the highest dividend yields out of all the oil majors. This dividend is made secure by the company's substantial reserves, which ensure that it will be able to maintain its current production even if it has one bad year in discovering oil.

Seadrill Partners is one of the fastest-growing MLPs in the energy industry. The partnership just acquired a few new rigs that will likely lead to earnings and distribution growth going forward. The partnership offers a good way to get a high distribution yield protected against income taxes.

Offshore drilling contractor Ensco trades 16.9% off its highs following an earnings report in which the company reported record profits. This is due to fears surrounding the industry which do not seem to apply in the company's case. Ensco should be able to grow its revenues in 2014 due to its strong contract situation.

The Norwegian kroner declined significantly against the U.S. dollar from the beginning of November to the end of January. This will have a negative effect on investors who are attempting to compare Statoil to American alternatives and for those who are depending on the company's dividend to derive income.

This Norwegian energy company discovered more oil and gas than any other energy company last year. This will ensure the company's future as it grows its reserves by discovering more oil and gas than it extracts.

The United States Geologic Survey says that the Uinta Basin in Utah may be one of the most resource-rich regions in the United States. Could this small E&P be a good way to profit off of the development of these resources?

The cold winter weather that has gripped much of the country has caused natural gas stockpiles to shrink and has driven prices up to levels not seen since 2011. Here's one way to help you deal with the high cost of heating your home this year.

Noble stated that contracting activity, particularly for older and less capable rigs, is down but that it does expect contracting activity to rebound in the second half of the year.

Covered calls can be a great way to squeeze extra returns out of flat or declining markets, and to derive income out of non-dividend paying stocks.

Pacific Drilling's New Rig, Pacific Khamsin, began operations in December, and this rig will significantly increase the company's revenue, cash flow, and EBITDA.

If deepwater drilling takes a turn for the worse, can Seadrill Partners hold up?