Oil
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…
Mifid II adjustments fail to ease energy firms' worries
Energy firms such as utilities are fighting hard to avoid being regulated under Mifid II and having to comply with onerous EU financial rules. But despite last-minute changes to regulators’ proposed technical standards, the chances of escape appear slim
Impact of Mifid II on commodities sparks heated debate
Industry representatives and regulators clashed while discussing tightened rules on commodity dealers under Mifid II at Energy Risk Summit Europe
Ask questions and avoid sure bets, energy traders told
David Port, CRO of E.on Global Commodities, called for traders to adopt a more disciplined approach at Energy Risk Summit Europe
OTCGH’s Loya sees value in unorthodox business model
Javier Loya, the head of OTC Global Holdings, speaks about his firm’s unorthodox business model, the virtues of competition and the “go-go days” of energy trading
Video: Prices and regulation posing challenges, says NRG's Mackey
Glenn Mackey, CRO of NRG Energy, says low commodity prices and new rules are major concerns in a video interview at Energy Risk Summit USA in Houston
Video: CTRM vendors weigh in on changing demand from energy firms
Vendors cite the impact of lower oil prices, M&A activity and financial regulation
New rules 'redefining' commodities market – Citi’s Staley
A surge of regulation and the recent slump in oil prices are the two biggest trends in commodity derivatives, says Stuart Staley, Citi's head of global commodities
Energy finance house of the year: SG CIB
The French bank has executed innovative deals involving a broad range of commodities, countries and projects
Oil & products house of the year: Citi
The US bank has assisted oil producers and airlines whiplashed by crashing prices
Risk manager of the year (corporate): Qantas Airways
Smart risk management helped push Qantas back into the black in 2014
Risk manager of the year (sovereign): Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit
Oil hedging stabilises Mexican state finances amid price crash
Derivatives house of the year: Citi
Bank wins with help of book purchases and willingness to take on trickier trades
Energy scarcity warrants tough response to market abuse
Market manipulation is a problem that is controversial and tricky to define, but it must be taken seriously. That is particularly true in energy markets, where the optimal allocation of resources is more important than ever, argues industry veteran…
Flood of oil ETF investors reshaping market, analysts say
Investors stampeded into exchange-traded funds tied to crude oil futures in early 2015. Analysts say the huge inflows halted the plunge in oil prices, at least temporarily, and enabled significant producer hedging. But not everyone agrees
EU commodity trading firms face capital punishment
Imposing CRD IV capital rules on trading houses, utilities and oil majors carries huge costs and makes no sense
Dealing with stressed contracts in the energy sector
The recent collapse of crude oil prices is inevitably putting many contracts in the energy sector under strain. Ashley Wright and Richard Steenhof of Norton Rose Fulbright explore the legal options available to energy companies that need to manage the…
Oil collapse fails to dent zeal for hub-based gas pricing
In recent years, European buyers of natural gas have pushed strongly in favour of contract pricing based on the continent's gas hubs, rather than more traditional formulas linked to the price of oil. Given the huge drop in crude prices, has this stance…
Financial trading worsened oil plunge – Risk.net poll
Most respondents to a recent Risk.net poll say paper trading had some impact on the recent decline in crude oil prices, but disagree about how much
IEA, IEF and Opec probe role of markets in oil crash
The impact of US shale oil, financial speculation and bank commodity exits was high on the agenda at a joint meeting held by the IEA, IEF and Opec in Vienna
Bank and investor exodus worsened oil rout, traders say
The role of financial trading in the recent collapse of crude oil has added a new twist to the old debate over the impact of speculation on commodity markets. Did retreating index investors, short-selling momentum traders and risk-averse banks exacerbate…
Right-way risk can create a false sense of security
Dealers typically find comfort in right-way correlations between their exposure to energy sector counterparties and the creditworthiness of such companies. While this reasoning is unquestionably correct, it may create a false sense of security, writes…
Vitol veteran Preston joins energy brokerage
Cornerstone Global Commodities builds its new commodity financing business with addition of Vitol’s Africa business development head
BP’s Alvarez reflects on oil spills and other challenges
Orlando Alvarez, president and chief executive of BP Energy Company, reflects on oil spills and other challenges of running a large trading organisation