Articles by Risk Staff
Softly, softly in the western US
Wary Californian power traders have reverted to tried-and-tested trading strategies. But, asks Catherine Lacoursière, will the new, apparently stable market hold up to another long hot summer?
Energy trading primer
Chris Bowden says large industrial and commercial buyers could learn from energy traders’ experiences in dealing with volatile energy markets
Trading places
Whatever criticisms Enron’s competitors may level at the fallen giant, few have been shy about snapping up the talent left behind by the company’s demise. James Ockenden looks at the recruitment market in Enron’s wake
A new cop on the beat?
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has been severely criticised for its actions – or lack of them – during California’s disastrous attempt at deregulation. It is now hitting back at the energy industry. Kevin Foster reports
Cleaning up in California
As oil majors embrace the use of ethanol in Californian gasoline, analysts are warning that it will cause a rise in prices at the pump, as Kevin Foster discovers
A tight ship in rough waters
Power prices in the UK have fallen dramatically in recent months. What can the UK’s biggest power producer do to prevent more losses in this difficult market? Joel Hanley profiles British Energy
Trouble at the paper mill
Maria Kielmas asks how energy users in Scandinavia are coping with medium-term price uncertainties and the threat of increased environmental legislation
In the mind of a trader
Use of psychological techniques and behavioural studies is an essential part of designing aircraft cockpits. The same principles are now being applied to energy trading screens, as James Ockenden discovers
Comeback in the old USSR
Russia is on the verge of becoming the world’s leading energy superpower, but a lack of investment looks set to hamper its development. Joel Hanley reports
Exploring option pricing with mean-reversion jump diffusion
Yijun Du explores option pricing with a mean-reversion and jump-diffusion – or MJ – model, using Monte Carlo simulation. We find that jumps can increase the call price, a higher mean-reversion rate lowers the call price and the time to maturity has…
Brent’s liquidity crisis
The decision by energy information provider Platts to alter the definition of its Brent benchmark price has forced the issue over the crude blend’s liquidity problems, reports Matt Horsbrugh
Enel waits on liberalisation
While Italian energy major Enel Group has systems in place to manage its individual market risks, it is delaying any decision on enterprise-level risk management software until Italy decides how it will proceed with energy liberalisation, finds Clive…
EPRM’s list of software vendors and selected client firms
As we have done in previous years, EPRM asked all the companies in this directory to provide a list of their clients. While some have too many to provide an exhaustive list of them here, others have preferred to name a select few or just the types of…
TXU finds the right combination
Kevin Foster looks at the reasons behind TXU Energy’s choice of Knowmadic’s Integration Suite data management software, and at the product’s features
The software needs of the credit-wary
After a difficult year that shows few signs of getting any easier, it looks like every energy company needs an effective risk system. The software vendors hold the key, but what do energy players need, asks Joel Hanley