Enterprise risk
Projecting risk
Oil and gas projects have high investment stakes, so weighing up the risks and viability of a project against an existing portfolio is essential. Dan Patterson looks at some techniques
Beyond compliance
Operational risk for the energy sector covers everything from production to transportation. Companies are now seeking sophisticated solutions to integrate op risk into wider risk-management programmes, as Oliver Holtaway reports
Full spectrum
In January, Duke Energy spun off its natural gas business into a stand-alone company – Spectra Energy. David Watkins talks with Martha Wyrsch, Spectra president and chief executive, about the benefits of a pure-play firm versus an energy superstore
Nymex abandons UK exchange
The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) has effectively ended its trading presence in the UK by applying for its subsidiary, Nymex Europe, to be deregistered.
APM gains first owner in western US
ACES Power Marketing (APM), a wholesale energy risk management and transaction execution service company, has gained its first owner in the western US, as it continues to expand its service base in California and the west.
OpenLink acquires IRM
OpenLink, a provider of cross-asset trading and risk management software solutions, has purchased IRM, an Austrian-based energy solution provider focused on energy asset optimisation and strategic planning.
Fimat and Calyon Financial in merger talks
Société Générale and Calyon have entered into exclusive negotiations regarding a possible merger of their brokerage activities, currently carried out by Fimat and Calyon Financial respectively.
Allegheny Power proposes Maryland plan
Allegheny Power, the electric delivery subsidiary of investor-owned utility Allegheny Energy, has proposed a rate stabilisation and transition plan for its Maryland residential customers.
globalCOAL settles with GFI in dispute over physical coal contract
Electronic trading platform globalCOAL has fended off another attempt by a major inter-dealer broker to use its products on their own screens, after reaching an agreement with GFI to prevent any use of its Standard Coal Trading Agreement (SCoTA) on its…
Shell makes Sakhalin-2 offer to Gazprom
Shell has reportedly offered Russian gas giant Gazprom a controlling stake in the Sakahalin-2 oil and gas exploration project. The offer was made during discussions between Shell’s chief executive Jeroen van der Veer and Alexei Miller, chairman of…
Uncertainty hampers forward planning
The long-term investment plans of US utilities are being hampered by regional regulatory ambiguity and a string of failed mergers. David Watkins investigates
Energen increases 2007 natural gas, liquids hedge
US-based Energen Corporation, owner of gas exploration and production company Energen Resources Corporation (ERC), has increased its natural gas and gas-to-liquids hedging position for 2007, the company announced.
Oman obtains 30% share in Dubai Mercantile Exchange
The Sultanate of Oman’s Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement to acquire a 30% equity stake in the Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME), the Middle East’s first energy futures exchange.
Shifting sands
High oil prices and a lack of accessibility to reserves are reawakening oil majors' interest in Canada's oil sands. David Watkins looks at their potential and at the challenges involved in this capital-intensive mining operation
CME, CBOT to merge
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange is to merge with the Chicago Board of Trade in a move the exchanges say is “expected to transform global derivatives markets.”
EU proposals to heighten competition and risk in the energy sector
The European Commission’s energy policy review, an ongoing evaluation of the energy sector which is likely to lead to new regulation regarding competition, could have significant implications for the risk profile of the European utility sector, says a…
Amaranth losses puts risk management in the spotlight
As well as spooking players in the natural gas markets, the $6 billion losses of multi-strategy hedge fund Amaranth have put the issue of risk management, and particularly capital-at-risk, under closer scrutiny than ever
Surveying risk management
How is risk management viewed in your company? Are there risks you would like to measure but don''t? Which methodologies are most commonly used? What should the discipline tackle next? Our latest survey reveals all