News
Sempra secures credit facility; raises earnings guidance
San Diego-based Sempra Energy is in the process of securing a two-year line of credit with "major financial institutions" that will provide as much as $1 billion. The line of credit, which will be secured by certain trading company assets, will be used…
Baltic Exchange forms asset derivatives advisory group
The London-based Baltic Exchange has formed an independent advisory group to enhance the emerging market for ship vessel asset derivatives. The group consists of key users, derivative brokers and physical panellists and will act as an information…
Nymex president to quit
Bo Collins, president of The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), will leave the exchange at the end of this month. Nymex said the decision not to renew his contract was by made by "mutual agreement."
IPE puts back relaunch of power futures
London’s International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) has put back its relaunch date for UK electricity futures – it will now start listing them by the end of September. The exchange had originally intended to launch the contracts around the end of this month.
BoA’s head of energy trading lands at hedge fund
Julian Barrowcliffe, formerly global head of energy trading for Bank of America in New York, has joined Vega Asset Management – a New York-based hedge fund with $11 billion under management. In his new role Barrowcliffe will manage a commodities trading…
TXU and CSFB form energy trading company
Dallas-based TXU has entered into a joint partnership with Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) to create an independent entity to market and trade power, natural gas and other energy-related commodities in North America.
Ofgem finds no evidence of market abuse
Britain’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) says it has found no evidence of market abuse following its probe into the high gas prices between September 2003 and October 2003, when wholesale spot prices rose by 80%.
Wine bar hedges weather
UK-based Corney and Barrow Wine Bars has entered into a group wide weather derivative hedge with XL Trading Partners, the Connecticut-based weather risk management company.
Mooney quits Trafigura to launch Merrill fund of funds
David Mooney, formerly head of power and gas trading at Trafigura in London, has left the Swiss commodity trading house to join Merrill Lynch. Mooney will join Merrill in mid-June as a managing director where he will be charged with evaluating commodity…
CGE Power falls as banks demand cash
CGE Power, the bank consortium formed to acquire distressed UK power assets, has withdrawn offers totalling around £3 billion on 12 plants and ceased trading after proposals to acquire two key power plants were rejected by lenders, according to a…
Pressure group calls for debarment of Reliant’s US Dept of Defense contracts
Public Citizen, the Washington DC-based pressure group, has called for the debarment of Reliant Energy from its newly awarded $35.9 million electricity contract by the US Department of Defense while it is under federal indictment for its role in creating…
KWI hires SVP of operations
KWI, the London-based provider of trading and risk management software for the energy industry, today announced the appointment of Alan Somerville as senior vice president (SVP) of operations.
FOA close to releasing UK power trading guidelines
The UK Futures and Options Association (FOA) says it is close to releasing final drafts of guidelines on various areas of the UK power market. The problem areas identified by the FOA's Power Trading Forum (PTF) are reference pricing, credit risk…
Nymex introduces trading in western electricity futures
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) is to introduce trading in four western electricity futures contracts, based on Dow Jones Electricity Indexes, on its ClearPort electronic platform beginning with the June 4 trading session, which starts at 3:15…
Liquidity, not regulation, is key to avoid manipulation, says CFTC
Regulators should avoid the temptation to implement over zealous regulation of the energy derivatives market, and instead encourage the development of liquidity, if market manipulation is to be avoided. That was the message delivered by Sharon Brown…
FEA unveils updated power exposure solution
Financial Engineering Associates (FEA), the Berkeley-based subsidiary of technology company Barra, today unveiled its @Energy/Power Generation 2.0 solution for power plant optimisation, risk exposure assessment and valuation
EU emissions trading to see moderate start, says survey
Companies expect emissions trading to experience a “moderate start” in the European Union (EU), before seeing a steady increase in volumes. This was the conclusion of a recent survey carried out by the Leipzig-based European Energy Exchange (EEX) and 3C,…
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…
Price reporting is improving, says CCRO director
Confidence in the energy markets is returning partially thanks to an improvement in the price reporting practices of energy companies, according to Robert Anderson, executive director of the US-based Committee of Chief Risk Officers (CCRO).
Nymex to clear contracts on OTC oil and gas options
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) and broker Icap are set to launch an electronic market in options on oil and gas inventory statistics. The over-the-counter options will be offered through an auction process and cleared by Nymex.
SEC asked to defend Puhca policies
Two US Congressmen have expressed concern about the workings of the Public Utility Holding Company Act (Puhca) and the ability of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to police Puhca-regulated energy companies.
Bayer signs up for SunGard Adaptiv
Bayer, the Leverkusen-based pharmaceuticals and chemicals company, has chosen Sungard’s Adaptiv trading and risk management product to support its commodity, foreign exchange and fixed-income trading operations.
De Vitry warns of energy market regulatory pressures
Benoit de Vitry, global head of commodities and emerging markets rates at Barclays Capital in London, today said that regulatory rules could adversely impact the development of a mature energy trading market.
GL Trade sets up gateway to EEX and signs up Calyon Financial
GL Trade, a Paris-based provider of financial data, clearing, trading and settlement soulutions, has set up a gateway to the Leipzig-based European Energy Exchange. Global derivatives broker Calyon Financial, formerly Carr Futures, has taken up this…