Energy
“Enron Loophole” will soon be closed: Levin
Senator Carl Levin, who chairs the US Senate's permanent subcommittee on investigations, has said that he will soon introduce legislation that will increase regulatory scrutiny of the over-the-counter (OTC) markets.
Amaranth manipulated gas prices: CFTC
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission has charged failed hedge fund Amaranth Advisors and its former head trader, Brian Hunter, with trying to manipulate natural gas futures prices.
SGX AsiaClear adds to OTC BOM contract suite
Singapore Exchange (SGX) has announced that SGX AsiaClear will offer the clearing of over-the-counter (OTC) balance-of-month (BOM) Dubai crude oil swap and kerosene swap contracts from August 2.
WTI, Brent climb after IEA report
A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called for the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase production in order to relieve market tightness going forward.
Dry freight forward volumes rise sharply
The latest figures issued by the Forward Freight Agreement Brokers Association (FFABA), compiled by the maritime information provider Baltic Exchange, show a 32% jump in dry FFA volumes from the first to second quarter of 2007.
Nymex calls for full ICE regulation
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) has called for full regulation of its Atlanta-based rival IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) following a federal report which said that the current jurisdiction of federal regulators is not wide-ranging enough.
Physical delivery hits 4000 mark on DME Oman contract
The Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) has revealed key statistics following the first full month of trading at the exchange. 4000 Oman crude oil futures contracts went for physical delivery in August, a figure that has, according to the DME, only been…
US Futures Exchange to list wind derivatives
The U.S. Futures Exchange (USFE) says that it will list futures contracts on Nordix Financial Wind Indexes created by Weather Bid, that measure deviations from average wind speeds used in wind power generation.
Triple Point launches Commodity XL for Biofuels and Commodity XL Xchange
Triple Point Technology, a supplier of software platforms for the supply, trading, marketing and movement of commodities, has released Commodity XL for Biofuels. The platform is intended to address the rapidly escalating global market for renewable…
Amaranth report to ring changes
Release of report into collapse of energy hedge fund Amaranth Advisors looks set to change the way OTC markets operate in the US
Full steam ahead for FFAs
The freight derivatives market has attracted an influx of new players recently thanks to the spread of clearing. With more banks and hedge funds poised to enter, Roderick Bruce looks at what opportunities the market offers and how it needs to develop next
Up in the air
Rising wind power prices are encouraging US producers to turn to the short-term and spot electricity markets. Increasingly sophisticated risk management techniques may follow. David Watkins reports
Analysts question WTI/Brent spread
The spread between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and ICE Brent has narrowed significantly, hitting $0.95 this week from a high of $7.34 in mid-May.
EDF and RasGas sign LNG supply deal
Utility EDF, through its subsidiary EDF Trading, has signed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contract with Qatari company Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas (RasGas).
Amaranth trades “altered natural gas prices.”
Energy hedge fund Amaranth Advisors exploited legal loopholes and altered natural gas prices through “excessive speculation” before its 2006 implosion, a US senate investigation has found.
Spectron trades first OTC REC option
Energy broker Spectron has brokered the first over-the-counter option on US renewable energy credits (RECs)
Ethanol in “hangover mode” as sector looks to restructure
The unbridled optimism which spurred the ethanol markets in 2006 has been replaced by fears over the sustainability of some corn-based projects, according analysts speaking at this week’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York.
GlobalView to offer SSY tanker data
Tanker data from shipbroker Simpson, Spence & Young (SSY) will become available through data management provider GlobalView’s MarketView solution.