Viper Energy Partners LP VNOM reported fourth-quarter 2020 adjusted earnings of 12 cents per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 3 cents. Moreover, the bottom line increased 300% from the year-ago quarter’s profit of 3 cents per share.The partnership — with mineral interests in North American oil and gas resources — generated operating income of $76.3 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $55 million. However, the top line fell from the year-ago quarter’s level of $93 million.The strong quarterly earnings can be attributed to a rise in oil equivalent production volumes. This was partially offset by lower oil price realizations due to dented energy demand on account of the coronavirus outbreak.Viper Energy Partners LP Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Viper Energy Partners LP price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Viper Energy Partners LP Quote DistributionThe partnership was authorized by the board of directors of its general partner to make cash distribution of 14 cents per common unit, payable on Mar 11, 2021 to all its shareholders of record as of Mar 4, 2021. Notably, the metric increased 40% from the third-quarter figure of 10 cents per common unit.ProductionThe resources, wherein the partnership has mineral interests, produced 2,549 thousand oil equivalent barrels (MBoe) for the December quarter of 2020, up from 2,405 MBoe in the year-ago quarter. Of the total volumes, oil contributed 62.7% to total production. Production of crude oil and natural gas rose from the year-ago quarter’s levels in the reported quarter. However, production of natural gas liquids fell from the prior-year quarter’s figures.Realized PricesOverall average realized price per barrel of oil equivalent was recorded at $29.48 compared with $38.20 in fourth-quarter 2019. Average realized oil prices for the quarter were recorded at $40.36 per barrel, down from $53.90 a year ago. However, the price of natural gas was $1.36 per thousand cubic feet, up from $1.29 in the year-ago quarter. Notably, the same for natural gas liquids was recorded at $14.71 a barrel, up from the year-ago quarter’s $14.53.Cost & ExpensesTotal expenses for the fourth-quarter of 2020 amounted to $105 million versus $35.3 million in the prior-year quarter. On a per barrel of oil equivalent (Boe) basis, total operating expenses were recorded at $2.83 versus $3.34 in the year-ago quarter.Cash FlowNet cash from operating activities were recorded at $53.4 million, down from $72.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. Despite the current market uncertainties, the partnership expects to generate more cash from operations in the coming days, supported by favorable hedges.Balance SheetAs of Dec 31, 2020, Viper Energy’s cash and cash equivalents were recorded at $19.1 million. It reported net long-term debt of $555.6 million, representing a debt to capitalization of 23%.GuidanceViper Energy issued its daily average oil equivalent production guidance of 24.5-26.5 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d) for full-year 2021.Notably, this Texas-based partnership sets its average daily production guidance for the first half of 2021 between 23.8 Mboe/d and 26.3 Mboe/d. Zacks Rank & Stocks to ConsiderThe partnership currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked players in the energy space include Denbury Inc DEN, PDC Energy, Inc PDCE and Ovintiv Inc OVV , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Denbury’ bottom line for 2021 is expected to surge 142.6% year over year.PDC Energy’ bottom line for 2021 is expected to surge 165.9% year over year.Ovintiv’ bottom line for 2021 is expected to rise 9.5% year over year.Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a GenerationBe among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, it’s expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity.A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks’ just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time.See 8 breakthrough stocks now>>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 PDC Energy, Inc. (PDCE): Free Stock Analysis Report Viper Energy Partners LP (VNOM): Free Stock Analysis Report Ovintiv Inc. (OVV): Get Free Report Denbury Inc. (DEN): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.