Jefferies just came out with a report on their top oil services stocks. The firm stated that this sector will benefit from hydraulic fracking and increased U.S. drilling. What intrigued me the most about this list was the smaller names in the space. We’re all familiar with Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL), Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB), and National-Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE:NOV) which were on Jefferies’ list. But there were several names worth investigating that offer better growth potential.
One of the factors that’s been holding Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE:SPN) back is the continuous drop in the U.S. rig count. That has lead to fewer completions and less demand for Superior’s services. But in the first quarter of 2013, Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE:SPN) did see a pickup in completion work and it looks like there will be an uptick in the rig count in the coming quarters. Low natural gas prices have lead to a slowdown in drilling activity. Now that prices are rising again, that’s beneficial for Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE:SPN) and its onshore businesses.
On the international front, Superior has a presence in the both the fast-growing Latin American and Asian markets. In Colombia, Superior just purchased a pressure pumping business and in Brazil, the company has a drilling equipment rental business. In Asia, Superior has a fast-growing subsea construction business.
U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) mines, processes, and sells commercial silica in the United States. Its whole grain commercial silica products are used as fracturing sand in oil and natural gas recovery. This is a key ingredient in hydraulic fracturing. As of Feb. 26, 2013, the company controlled approximately 307 million tons of proven and probably recoverable mineral reserves.
U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) is in a tremendous position as hydraulic fracturing continues to grow. U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) is one of the few companies that has access to all the major railroads. With fracking sand, the main issue is not supply, but the ability to deliver to the oil and gas companies where they’re drilling. U.S. Silica Holdings Inc (NYSE:SLCA) has access to all the major shale basins. At the end of last year, the company had leased 1,597 rail cars to serve its customers.
The domestic demand for fracking sand is expected to grow at 8% annually till 2016. For the companies in the space, that will translate into EPS growth of 20% annually as demand stays strong and rig counts increase.
Pioneer Energy Services Corp (NYSE:PES) provides contract land drilling and production services to independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the United States and Colombia. Pioneer Energy Services Corp (NYSE:PES) operates a modern fleet of more than 60 electric and high-end mechanical drilling rigs throughout onshore oil and gas producing regions of the United States and Colombia. Pioneer Energy Services Corp (NYSE:PES)’s production services are supported by more than 100 well servicing rigs, more than 100 cased-hole, open-hole and offshore wireline units, a range of advanced coiled tubing units, and extensive inventory of fishing and rental tools.
Colombia is a growth market for Pioneer Energy Services Corp (NYSE:PES). In the first quarter of this year, all of the company’s drilling rigs were fully utilized. In Colombia, Pioneer Energy Services Corp (NYSE:PES) has growing margins and low costs. Last quarter’s results in Colombia were the company’s best ever and look set to continue for the rest of the year.
Drilling in south Texas, the Bakken ,and the Marcellus shale have been strong for Pioneer as well. Rigs are operating at 100% utilization. The only weakness in drilling for the company is in the Uinta basin and east Texas. The company plans on moving rigs out of that market and into the other markets where more rigs are needed.
Foolish assessment
All three companies offer investors exposure to the fast-growing oil services space. With market caps less than $5 billion, there’s significant upside potential as these companies have the ability to grow faster than the bigger names. Also, any of these three would be attractive buyout candidates for one of the bigger players.
The article These Oil Services Stocks Are Poised for Growth originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Mark Yagalla.
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