Natural gas
Energy trading firms must be whiter than white
Allegations of manipulation are particularly bad for energy trading firms, which should respond by holding themselves to higher standards
Liquidity forces energy firms to get creative with risk management
In some corners of the over-the-counter energy market, liquidity has become increasingly thin during the past few years. As a result, firms need to think more creatively about how they handle liquidity, say risk managers. Stella Farrington reports
Stadtwerke München grapples with regulation and risk management
At Stadtwerke München, one of Germany’s largest municipal utilities, many of the issues facing risk management are different from those affecting big commercial energy firms. But concerns about the impact of financial regulation run just as high. Mark…
Asian LNG buyers seek more flexible terms
Countries including Japan and India are venting their frustration at the hefty premiums and inflexible terms they face in the global liquefied natural gas market. While there are signs things are beginning to change, participants say any further shifts…
Onset of hub-based Asian LNG pricing likely to be slow
LNG importers hoping for quick move to flexible pricing mechanisms will be disappointed, say market participants
Asia Oil & Natural Gas House of the Year: Citi
Citi has worked hard to rebuild its oil business and is one of very few banks that remain active in physical LNG
Linn Energy SEC inquiry sparks hedge accounting debate
Linn Energy, once fêted as a leader in risk management, is under scrutiny by US regulators for its derivatives accounting practices – something that is casting a shadow over other master limited partnerships in the upstream oil and gas business, finds…
Trade repositories eye Remit opportunity
Entities backing trade repositories for OTC derivatives show interest in registering as RRMs
US power hedging suffers from low prices
Low power prices have dented the need for electricity producers and consumers to hedge with derivatives, while regulatory reform is also making life difficult for market-makers. But market participants are optimistic the trend could be reversed. Pauline…
Experts at the heart of global energy markets
E.ON has combined its trading and gas supply businesses to create E.ON Global Commodities, one of the world’s leading participants in the international wholesale energy markets
Skylar’s Perkins sees potential for volatility in US natural gas
Bill Perkins believes rising demand and reduced risk warehousing will create opportunities for natural gas traders: video
Mandatory bundling will damage trading in European gas, say firms
Capacity Allocation Mechanism network code could restrict gas trade at physical hubs and interconnection points
Volatility set to return to US natural gas market, warn analysts
Booming shale production has brought US natural gas prices to 10-year lows and dampened market volatility, making life difficult for traders. But with rising demand from industrial users, power generators and exporters of liquefied natural gas,…
Cutting edge: Correlation functions in the crude oil and natural gas futures markets
Given the importance of the crude oil and natural gas futures markets, the intra-market correlations in these markets play an important role in pricing, hedging and managing the risks of energy portfolios. This paper by Ehud Ronn contributes to the…
Turning Points: Bill Perkins, Skylar Capital Management
Bill Perkins, founder of Skylar Capital Management, sees opportunities in US natural gas markets, even as depressed prices and low volatility prompt other traders to pull back. Alexander Osipovich reports
Tankard natural gas indexes greeted with scepticism
Traders show little enthusiasm for Tankard indexes of European natural gas, despite ongoing concerns about the reliability of assessments by price reporting agencies. Gillian Carr reports
TTF benefits from growing liquidity among European gas hubs
Growing liquidity in the European gas market and a gradual edging away from oil and gas indexation are giving a boost to continental gas hubs – with the Dutch Title Transfer Facility emerging as the biggest beneficiary. Gillian Carr reports
Cutting edge: Hedging price and volumetric risks of fixed-price load-serving contracts in natural gas markets
In this article, Ning Zhang and Robert Cumbie propose a utility maximisation method for natural gas marketers to find optimal hedging strategies to deal with price and load uncertainty by using price and weather derivatives. Monte Carlo simulation…
Nucor praised for pursuing natural hedge
US steel maker’s acquisition of natural gas assets is seen as viable long-term hedge and an alternative to derivatives
Natural gas producers step up hedging
Hedging by North American natural gas producers increases as prices rebound
Basis trading to emerge in European gas
Natural gas basis swaps increasingly used in over-the-counter market and could eventually trade on exchanges