News
Trading positions – May 2010
Energy Risk catches up with the latest appointments, promotions and departures in global commodity markets
Gulf of Mexico oil spill to delay BP drilling projects
BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill could lead to production delays throughout the industry while safety regulation tightens up.
Green Exchange’s London launch brings Nymex carbon products to Europe
The New York Mercantile Exchange's (Nymex) environmental products trading platform, the Green Exchange, has announced the opening of a London office, in an attempt to penetrate the European carbon space. Green Exchange International intends to list…
Carbon market welcomes ICE purchase of CCX
The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has announced the £395m acquisition of The Climate Exchange. The two entities have been partners since 2003.
European oil refineries profitability to drop off
European oil refineries have little chance of making profits for companies over the next two years, despite the sector’s first quarter burst of profitability, say industry analysts.
BNP Paribas’ commodity research to triple
French investment bank BNP Paribas is set to more than triple its commodity research team, across metals, soft commodities and carbon emissions, in order to bolster its trading side as it goes on an aggressive drive to gather more hedge funds and…
Volcanic ash cloud could reduce airlines’ carbon allowances
Market experts have warned that last week’s Europe-wide flight disruptions, following the volcanic ash cloud precaution, will affect the aviation industry’s carbon allocations under the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) from 2012.
Deal could trigger downgrade for E.ON US and subsidiaries
German power and gas company E.ON's decision to sell its US subsidiary to PPL Corporation for $7.625 billion has resulted in a ratings review and possible downgrade for E.ON US.
First US offshore wind farm approved
The first US offshore wind farm has been approved by the US government in an area of the Outer Continental Shelf, with the potential to eventually provide 1 million megawatts of offshore energy.
CBI: Quarter of UK power plants face closure
Independent business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned the latest draft of the European Union Directive for Industrial Emissions could force at least a quarter of the UK’s power plants to close, which would raise a major…
FIA recommends DMA risk management controls
A Futures Industry Association (FIA) report published yesterday aims to establish best practices in managing the risk surrounding direct access to exchanges.
CFTC pushes on with regulatory sweep
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) moved to increase oversight of several unregulated energy contracts today, even though broader financial reform from Congress could negate the action.
BarCap launches nine commodity ETNs
Barclays Capital launched exchange-traded notes (ETNs) in Europe on Tuesday, listing 12 new ETNs on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), consisting of nine commodity exchange-traded products and three notes linked to volatility indexes for equities.
Saudi Arabia global oil exports to wane post-2010
Saudi Arabia’s long-standing status as a swing producer of crude oil could be drawing to a close according to the head of national oil company Saudi Aramco.
OTC reform could strengthen support for energy position limits
The debate over derivatives regulation could provide momentum for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to impose position limits on energy trading proposed in January.
Experts predict wave of commodity spread ETFs
An influx of commodity-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could sweep the market, after Canadian investment firm Jovian Capital Corp’s ETF unit BetaPro Management launched the first ever commodity spread ETF this month, signalling the growing range of…
Gazprom seals US LNG deal
The world’s largest natural gas company Gazprom has sealed a deal with US-based Sempra Energy that will allow Russia’s energy giant to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to another US receipt terminal and further broaden its client base and its reach in…
Reform bill passes Ag Committee before full Senate debate
The US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry has approved the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act, containing some of the strongest derivatives reforms proposed since the financial crisis.
China’s oil demand rise won’t tighten global supply
China’s apparent oil demand rose by 12.8% in March this year, following the expansion of refining capacity and rapid growth in the Chinese economy, but this does not indicate that global supply will tighten, say analysts.
Europe jet fuel price recovering as flights resume after volcanic ash ban
The Europe-wide flight ban resulting from volcanic ash clouds has cost the jet fuel market 500,000 tonnes-worth of demand this month, with logistical congestion expected to remain until the end of the week.
Volcanic ash clogs up Europe jet fuel market
European jet fuel traders are hoping for heavy rain to clear the skies of volcanic ash, after a loss of demand for a day and a half looks set to impact on prices and logistics.
Ex-RBS Sempra boss heads to UBS
UBS has hired former RBS Sempra Commodities head Kaushik Amin amid speculation that it will restart its commodities trading business
Chinese CDM project approval drops
The Chinese government's approval rate for Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects has dropped by over a third since December 2009, amid continued fears that Chinese CDM-generated Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) credits will not be allowed to be…
CFTC data shows speculators don't influence commodity markets
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) re-aggregated data releases show speculation has minimal impact on oil price movements, according to investment bank Credit Agricole.