Encana Corporation ECA reported fourth-quarter 2017 operating earnings of 12 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 10 cents. The better-than-expected results can be attributed to production growth from its core assets: Permian, Montney, Eagle Ford and Duvernay. The company also benefited from higher realized liquids prices. The bottom line increased from 9 cents per share reported in the year-ago quarter.Quarterly revenues of $1,210 million also topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,016 million. Revenues were 47.2% higher than the prior-year figure of $822 million.Encana Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Encana Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Encana Corporation QuoteProduction & PricesTotal fourth-quarter production came at 335,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d) compared with 321,500 BOE/d in the prior-year quarter. The four core assets accounted for 93% of the total production.Quarterly natural gas production declined approximately 14% year over year to 1,096 million cubic feet per day, while liquids production rose 40% from the prior-year quarter to 152.6 thousand barrels per day.Encana's realized natural gas price was $2.34 per thousand cubic feet, compared with the year-ago quarter level of $2.35. Meanwhile, realized liquids price rose to $55.4 per barrel from $49.29 in the fourth quarter of 2016.Costs & ExpensesTotal operating expenses increased 8.2% from fourth-quarter 2016 to $948 million. The rise is primarily attributed to an increase in depreciation, depletion and amortization charges along with transportation expenses.Capital Spending and Balance SheetEncana's capital investments during the quarter were $509 million. As of Dec 31, 2017, cash and cash equivalents were $719 million and long-term debt was $4,197 million. This, in turn, represents a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 38.4%.About the CompanyBased in Calgary, Alberta, Encana is a focused pure-play natural gas exploration and production (E&P) company. It is the second largest gas producer in North America, holding a highly competitive position in terms of land and resource among a number of promising shale and tight gas resource plays in the region. This provides the company with a low risk, long-life and a sustainable growth profile.Zacks Rank and Stocks to ConsiderEncana carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).A few better-ranked players in the energy space are ConocoPhillips COP, NuStar GP Holdings, LLC NSH and TOTAL S.A. TOT. While ConocoPhillips sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), TOTAL and NuStar GP Holdings carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.ConocoPhillips delivered average positive earnings surprise of 144.45% in the trailing four quarters.NuStar GP Holdings is expected to witness a year-over-year increase of 27.82% in revenues for 2018.TOTAL delivered average positive earnings surprise of 3.53% in the trailing four quarters.The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of AllLast year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Encana Corporation (ECA): Free Stock Analysis Report TotalFinaElf, S.A. (TOT): Free Stock Analysis Report Nustar GP Holdings, LLC (NSH): Free Stock Analysis Report ConocoPhillips (COP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research