ConocoPhillips: Is the Dividend Safe…or a Deathtrap?

Is any oil major the subject of more heated debate than ConocoPhillips (COP)? ExxonMobil (XOM) will always be the safe, stodgy behemoth in the oil patch, despite its drop today following its second-quarter earnings, while Chevron (CVX), is, well, Chevron. But ConocoPhillips is either praiseworthy for its commitment to its massive dividend–or headed for disaster. [...]