Feature
Canadian energy firms anxious over trade reporting proposals
With oil-rich Alberta and four other provinces set to finalise a joint rule on trade reporting by year-end, Canadian energy firms are hoping that regulators resolve troublesome issues with the definition of a ‘dealer' and the handling of trades with US…
Mifid II sparks frantic lobbying push by EU energy firms
European energy firms are mounting a last-minute attempt to effect changes to Mifid II even as the legislative process enters its final stages. If the effort fails, a dramatic retreat from commodity derivatives markets could be in the works, Stella…
Nasdaq grows energy sales team with ex-Goldman hire
Barclays adds energy trader in Singapore; Scotiabank loses senior energy trader; ex-BNP Paribas trader joins consultancy ARM; Noble hires Trafigura oil trader; Koch expands in power and renewables; Castleton hires Mercuria trio
Surveillance of EU energy markets set to increase
Regulators expect to make major advances in EU wholesale energy market monitoring now that trade reporting has begun, but some participants fear that different approaches across borders will lead to inconsistent enforcement
Revenue put options gain popularity in US power markets
Dealers, led by Morgan Stanley, have made revenue put options an increasingly popular hedging tool with US electricity firms seeking to build new power plants. But some observers warn that the largely untested product contains risks for dealers and their…
Javelin Global Commodities builds coal trading desk
Other commodities moves at CF Partners, CME, DTCC and Vectra
Vendors slam ‘uncooperative’ energy exchanges over Remit
Exchanges maintain tight grip on data amid new EU reporting regime for power and gas markets, disappointing some market participants
Singapore power and LNG ambitions face challenges
Singapore is seeking to supplement its position as Asia's oil trading powerhouse by promoting itself as a regional hub for power and liquefied natural gas. While these ambitions have met with modest success, they also face major challenges
E&P firms reluctant to hedge in wake of oil collapse
Having undergone a severe decline since late 2014, the price of crude oil has fallen still further in the past few months. That has made US shale producers reluctant to hedge for fear of locking in rock-bottom prices
Commodity index advocates stick to their guns
Ten years after publishing an influential paper that fuelled the commodity investment boom, Yale professors Gary Gorton and K Geert Rouwenhorst have revisited their study and found their arguments still "largely hold up". But critics are quick to disagree
Maximising refinery profits using portfolio optimisation
Petroleum refining is a complicated, multi-dimensional task that involves many tricky operating decisions. In this article, Carlos Blanco and Christopher Mammarelli explain how a portfolio-based optimisation framework can maximise the profitability of a…
Acer reappoints Pototschnig for three-year term
Barclays hires senior energy traders; CFTC's Wetjen steps down; Freepoint nabs JPM energy trader; ICBC SB boosts commodities team; ABN Amro reshuffles commodities
US gas price reporting drop raises questions about indexes
Jitters about regulatory risk have caused a growing number of energy firms to stop reporting their US natural gas trades to Platts and other index publishers. As reported transaction volumes fall, can the indexes still be trusted?
Q&A: Ercot's Doggett on wind power surge and EPA rules
Texas has emerged as a leader in renewables, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) to improve its forecasting and consider changes to the way its electricity market operates. Trip Doggett, Ercot's outgoing president and chief…
Infrastructure funds focus on de-risking energy investments
As energy companies face a tough time gaining access to capital, a growing number of them have found relief from infrastructure funds and other investors keen to snap up low-risk, low-yielding assets. Three such investors outline their approach
US propane retailer hedges to offer customers stable prices
Keeping Michigan residents warm for a reasonable price is the central mission of Grand Rapids-based propane and fuels retailer Crystal Flash. But it couldn't be done without hedging and prudent risk management
Video: E.on Global Commodities CRO David Port
Port comments on how risk management will be affected by Uniper spin-off
Video: Jean-Marc Bonnefous, Tellurian Capital Management
Bonnefous defends investment in commodities amid market turbulence
Video: Uwe Schulz, CRO of RWE Supply & Trading
Schulz speaks about threats and opportunities facing European utilities
Video: Alberto Pototschnig, director of Acer
Acer director talks about progress on Remit and power market coupling
Video: Centrica chief risk officer Olivier Herbelot
Herbelot discusses how the UK power and gas giant manages its risk
Video: Enron 'best' and 'lowest' career moment, says Kaminski
Vincent Kaminski opines on topics including the "best" and "lowest" moment of his career, financial regulation, oil fundamentals and European energy markets in a wide-ranging interview filmed at Energy Risk Summit USA
Goldman Sachs names global commodity sales head
Castleton appoints Mercuria CIO; Natixis recruits commodity co-head; Logler joins TrailStone; VTB Capital hires commodity head; Maersk Oil names top marketer
Italian refiner seeks boost from supply and trading unit
Italy’s Saras is taking advantage of a well-supplied crude market and the flexibility of its Sardinia refinery to seek out trading opportunities, but challenges loom in the form of onerous financial regulations and the structural difficulties of Europe’s…