David Smith

Freeport-McMoRan has come a long way in a few short months? Is there still room for further share price improvement?

Colorado's DJ basin continues to expand and has become far more oily of late.With its colorful history and bright prospects, it absolutely shouldn't go unnoticed by Fools with a thirst for energy.

The Bakken may be experiencing per-well production declines, but there are still plenty of ways for canny investors to make money from companies that operate there.

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold's shares have quietly made up lost ground since mid-summer. Is that the end, or can the company continue to scamper?

Hydraulic fracturing and other new forms of technology have done wonders for the once moribund Permian Basin, which, at 90, may have its best days ahead of it.

While fracking has chopped U.S. natural gas prices and boosted our oil output, it's becoming appropriate to wonder whether we'll remain the technology's Lone Ranger.

Anadarko Petroleum is but one of several ways to play the larger U.S.-based independent producers. Several aspects of its approach to its business, however, make it a name you shouldn't ignore.

Whether in Nigeria, Libya, or Egypt, upheavals in Africa are making the various energy functions more difficult to perform. The result is a de facto floor under crude prices and a more compelling story for Chevron, Apache, and Hess.

With oil-field services representation being of growing importance for Foolish portfolios, one major question becomes one of the relative attractiveness of Halliburton and Schlumberger.

With Macondo uncertainties still lingering, Transocean's management is undertaking a multi-faceted approach to strengthening the company.

Formed during Thomas Jefferson's administration, venerable DuPont is making solid changes and dramatically recasting itself as an agricultural and food products company.

It's tough to top U.S. oil and gas producer EOG Resources -- as its happy shareholders have discovered.

Kirby Corp.'s leadership in U.S. barge transportation makes it a "must watch" as our country's oil output continues to skyrocket.

With the steady growth of its agriculturally related segments, along with the sales of economically volatile chemicals operations, venerable DuPont's getting a bright new lease on life.

With its downstream operations having been gifted to its shareholder and its producing assets pruned, ConocoPhillips is now able to travel much lighter and faster.

In the thriving world of subsea production technology, FMC Technologies is not to be missed.

While the air has been taken out of the notion that the BRIC countries would collectively be the engine for global economic growth, the foursome still contains attractive buying opportunities.

With Syria apparently having apparently crossed President Obama's red line, U.S. military action in the country has become more likely. One effect is a hike in crude prices and the increased desirability of Foolish attention to exploration and production companies.

While oil and gas production in the U.S. has rocketed upward during the past few years, energy investors should be aware of several potential new federal regulations that could slow this trend.

While it's stuck with the foibles inherent in the world of integrated oil and gas companies these days, Chevron possesses all manner of strengths that make it the top play among the majors.