UPDATE 1-T-3 Energy posts Q4 loss on impairment charge

* Q4 loss $0.69/shr from cont ops

* Q4 EPS $0.86, before items, beats estimate

* Q4 revenue $78.6 million beats estimate

March 2 (Reuters) - Oil field products and services company T-3 Energy Services Inc (TTES.O) posted a quarterly loss from continuing operations, hurt by a goodwill impairment charge of $23.5 million.

For the fourth quarter, the company posted a loss from continuing operations of $8.7 million, or 69 cents per share, compared with a profit of $8.5 million, or 67 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 22 percent.

Excluding the impairment charge and a tax benefit, the company's net income from continuing operations was $10.9 million, or 86 cents a share.

Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of 81 cents a share, excluding items, on revenue of $75.6 million, according to Reuters Estimates.

Quarterly gross margins rose to 39 percent from 36 percent a year ago.

"2009 will present many challenges due to macroeconomic conditions and decreased customer spending," Chief Executive Gus Halas said in a statement.

For alerts, please double click [ID:nWNAB8781] (Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Himani Sarkar)