Feature
European power market series: Iberia
Liquidity in the Iberian power market has been on the rise thanks to market coupling and a move away from fixed tariffs, but uncertainty around government intervention and a lack of interconnection with the rest of Europe remain huge obstacles to…
German power market outlook
This month marks the one-year anniversary of Germany announcing its intention to abandon nuclear power. Since then a number of fundamental shifts have occurred in the German power market, which are expected to impact prices during the year. Jay Maroo…
Can the boutique energy brokerage survive Dodd-Frank?
The Dodd-Frank Act is set to drastically reshape the over-the-counter energy derivatives brokerage industry in the US, as small firms in particular are threatened with the loss of their independence. Alexander Osipovich finds out how brokers are coping…
Emmanuel Fages departs SG CIB to join Roland Berger
Emmanuel Fages has left his role as head of European energy research at Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking to join strategy consultants Roland Berger
Energy firms rethink risk-capital allocation
Today’s capital-constrained environment is driving energy companies to review their approach to allocating the capital required to support risk exposures. David Stokes and Olly Spinks look at the challenges associated with risk-capital allocation and…
Exclusive: Interview with Aramco Trading’s Said Al-Hadrami
The world’s biggest producer of crude oil, Saudi Aramco, has moved far beyond its roots and now boasts a team devoted to the worldwide trade of refined products. In an exclusive interview, Aramco Trading’s chief executive Said Al-Hadrami tells Alexander…
Enterprise-wide risk management: The power of cashflow-based metrics
The risks faced by energy/commodity firms need to be assessed via metrics that allow for longer-term outlooks and incorporate risks from asset-backed trading. In the second article in this series, Chris Strickland discusses the range of such metrics…
Asian challenge to crude benchmarks
As Asian demand for crude continues to increase, calls are growing for an Asian crude oil benchmark to sit alongside the global benchmarks of WTI and Brent. Jay Maroo investigates the possible alternatives
Energy trading firms keen to improve ETRM reporting
Energy trading and risk management reporting, not always the most effective operation at energy trading firms, is undergoing an efficiency drive across the industry, finds Gillian Carr
The long and winding road to Dodd-Frank
As the Dodd-Frank rule-making process drags on, US energy companies are wondering when they will finally have clarity about the law’s impact on their business. Alexander Osipovich examines some of the key issues being thrashed out in the months to come
Assessing cybersecurity of the US power grid
Threats to the cybersecurity of the US power grid are on the rise and the issue is now on the radars of chief risk officers at utilities, rather than just IT heads. Alexander Osipovich investigates how the industry is responding and assesses the odds of…
Renewable energy projects seek investment alternatives
Investment in renewable energy needs to double if EU targets are to be met. With governments and investment banks reining in lending, the market is looking at alternative sources to plug the gaps. Gillian Carr investigates this and the implications of…
Are alpha commodity index products sustainable?
Investor interest in alpha commodity index products has surged over the past year and banks are hard at work creating more of them. Can these exotic new instruments really provide a sustainable source of absolute return? And is the market getting too…
Managing operational risk at commodity trading firms
Proactive management of operational risk is critical to ensuring an organisation responds effectively to ever-changing market conditions and regulatory environments. Julie Shochat and Kenzel Fallen outline how to align strategy, processes and…
Energy Risk's 2012 Software Survey and Rankings
Tighter budgets and looming regulation are key factors impacting decisions around energy trading and risk management software systems this year, according to Energy Risk’s Software Survey. David Wigan and Stella Farrington analyse the results
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: SG CIB's Russian gas field financing
Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking arrange €1.1bn financing for gas field in northern Russia
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: Lloyds's financing for Essar
Lloyds Bank organises $1.5bn secured borrowing base facility for Essar Energy
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: Credit Suisse's Urals swap with JKX
Credit Suisse in $50m Urals Med swap with JKX Oil & Gas
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: Carlyle's Plainfield funding
The Carlyle Group rescue Plainfield renewable energy plant with $125m senior debt funding
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: BarCap's VPP deal with Chesapeake
Barclays Capital pioneers new volumetric payment deal with Chesapeake that allows more investors to take part
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: BAML's LNG deal with Gate
Bank of America Merrill Lynch becomes first investment bank to facilitate full commissioning services in its deal with Dutch Gate LNG terminal
Analysing common processes used to model energy prices
Choosing the appropriate process for modelling energy prices is essential for best calculating value, risk and hedging metrics for energy derivatives and assets. In this first article of a six-part series, Carlos Blanco and Michael Pierce discuss some…
How relevant is VAR for energy markets?
Despite its many limitations, value-at-risk (VAR) is still the most commonly used risk profile measuring tool in the energy industry. In this first article in a new series, Chris Strickland discusses why the energy industry’s love affair with VAR could…
Refiners seek innovative tools for risk management
Battered by tight margins and volatile oil markets, refiners are exploring a range of innovative tools to contain costs and improve risk management. Alexander Osipovich reports