Oil & refined products
Nymex European launch imminent
Nymex aims to launch an open outcry exchange in Europe, most likely initially in Dublin using Nybot’s Finex facilities, according to president James Newsome.
Driving up the price
Nowhere has the spiralling cost of petroleum been more acutely felt than in the US, where the car is king. The rise is, of course, directly related to high crude oil prices, pushed ever higher by threats to production arising from worldwide political…
Shell completes sale of refined products pipelines
Shell Oil Products US has sold its major refined oil products pipeline systems to asset acquisition companies for $1 billion. Oklahoma-based Magellan Midstream Partners has paid $490 million for the mid-continent system, while Pennsylvania-based Buckeye…
Grain versus cane
Since Nybot listed a new futures contract for ethanol in May, the product hasemerged as a critical ingredient in US refining. Gasoline traders may find themselvesworrying about crop reports as much as they monitor Opec meetings and Nymex crude. Sandy…
Wachovia expands Calypso use to energy
US financial group Wachovia Corp is to expand its use of the Calypso system to include energy derivatives. Wachovia began trading oil and gas in February.
EnCana sells oil and gas assets for $395 million
Canadian exploration & production company EnCana Corp last Thursday sold oil and natural gas assets producing 16,800 barrels of oil equivalent a day (boe/d), to Harvest Energy Trust for US$395 million.
Banc of America Securities hires senior oil analyst
Banc of America Securities (BAS) yesterday hired Daniel Barcelo as a senior equity research analyst covering the global integrated oil sector. He joins the Bank of America subsidiary from rival bank Lehman Brothers and will be based in New York. He will…
Nymex and Shanghai Futures Exchange look to work together
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) and the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore potential areas of cooperation which they say could mutually benefit the memberships of both exchanges.
Putin’s endgame
The geopolitical premium on oil prices is rising as Russia pursues its ‘oligarchs’. Catherine Lacoursiere reports on the wider effects of Russian oil giant Yukos’ collapse
Dealings in diesel
In the latest in a series of articles in which Energy Risk profiles energy users’ risk management and hedging strategies, Joe Marsh talks to US rail company Amtrakabout how it deals with its fuel exposures
At ease with ethanol
Central Illinois Energy, a US farming co-op, is in the process of building anethanol plant. And it has already started to think about hedging, reflectingthe growing sophistication of the US ethanol market. PaulLyon reports
IPE hires Fredrik Voss
Fredrik Voss, one-time chief executive of the UK power Exchange, is to join the London-based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), as director of market development.
Broker Prebon hires Innogy coal trader
London-based broker Prebon may have failed in its bid to lure three coal traders from fellow broker Icap, but it is continuing to build a coal team. In mid-May, Sharon Millar, who previously traded paper and physical coal at UK utility RWE Innogy, joined…
The cost of optimism
Petroleum engineers and financial regulators have never spoken the same language,as the recent Royal Dutch/Shell debacle has shown. And this has led to confusionover state oil reserves. By Maria Kielmas
Statoil and Alex Kvaerner swap chief executives
Helge Lund has joined Norwegian energy company Statoil as chief executive, replacing acting CEO Inge Hansen. Hansen replaces Lund as CEO of one of three divisions of newly restructured Norwegian industrial group Aker Kvaerner.
Innovation of the year & Exchange of the year
Winner: Nymex
House of the year – oil products
Winner: Koch Supply & Trading
House of the year – crude oil
Winner: Société Générale
Flying high
The US airline industry is struggling due to high jet fuel prices. Accordingly, one trade association is urging the Bush administration to change its oil purchasing strategy. By Paul Lyon
In pursuit of the eurobarrel
The markets say they do not want oil prices in euros. But denominating internationalcrude prices in euros is a political ambition the European Union seems determinedto pursue – starting with Russia. MariaKielmas reports
Life without MTBE
The changeover from the use of MTBE as a gasoline blending component, to ethanol,in New York State and Connecticut on January 1, 2004 is likely to lead to pricevolatility in the oil market and make risk management using the Nymex Unleadedcontract far…
