It has become surprisingly tough for Big Oil companies such as ExxonMobil (XOM 0.02%) and BP (BP 0.13%) to grow the way they once did. This past quarter's earnings report offered an example, with both companies underwhelming the market. Because each company's base is so large, it takes tremendous production levels just to replace reserves at the rate in which they're pumped out of the ground. Many will argue that these are long-term investments, but it's been tough to see the light recently.
Meanwhile, smaller peers have shown tremendous growth potential to investors. This week should provide another glimpse, with three domestic producers reporting quarterly results. As they're all building solid asset bases in the Bakken region, the three companies we touch on in the following video should fare better than their larger, less centrally focused counterparts.
