Oil
QE3: The next big driver for oil prices?
Quantitative easing has been touted as the next big driver of oil prices. However, analysing and predicting the market behaviour it actually generates is difficult. Jay Maroo talks to experts about what they expect from QE and how this might impact risk…
Energy Risk Europe 2012: Speculation tending to push oil prices lower
In recent years, speculation in oil markets has been associated with price falls more than price rises, but speculative activity is transforming the oil market into an asset play subject to new macroeconomic influences, says Leo Drollas, chief economist…
Aggressive oil hedging enables Plains E&P’s big deepwater play
Plains Exploration & Production will hedge up to 90% of its oil production for the next three years, the Houston-based company says as it reaches a deal to buy $6.1 billion of oil assets in the Gulf of Mexico from BP and Shell
IEA analyst moves to Gunvor
Gunvor has hired former International Energy Agency analyst David Fyfe as head of market research and analysis
New breed of upstream oil & gas firms have increased appetite for hedging
The growth of master limited partnerships in the North American energy sector is creating a new breed of exploration and production companies with an increased appetite for hedging. The biggest of these, Linn Energy, has hedged 100% of its production out…
Energy Risk interview: Bharat Petroleum's hedging programme
RK Mehra, executive director (international trade) at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, talks to Jay Maroo about his company’s commodity hedging programme, corporate hedging in India and the likely effect of any regulatory changes
White House seeks tools to fight ‘excessive’ oil speculation
On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama launched a new initiative aimed at curbing speculation in energy markets, arguing that it would help ease the pain of high gasoline prices. He urged Congress to give the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission …
Exclusive: Interview with Aramco Trading’s Said Al-Hadrami
The world’s biggest producer of crude oil, Saudi Aramco, has moved far beyond its roots and now boasts a team devoted to the worldwide trade of refined products. In an exclusive interview, Aramco Trading’s chief executive Said Al-Hadrami tells Alexander…
Asian challenge to crude benchmarks
As Asian demand for crude continues to increase, calls are growing for an Asian crude oil benchmark to sit alongside the global benchmarks of WTI and Brent. Jay Maroo investigates the possible alternatives
Middle distillates to strengthen on supply constraints?
Diesel and heating oil prices have risen on the back of crude oil gains this year, but they also have some unique supply and demand issues to consider, finds Jay Maroo
Energy Risk Deals of the Year 2012: Lloyds's financing for Essar
Lloyds Bank organises $1.5bn secured borrowing base facility for Essar Energy
How relevant is VAR for energy markets?
Despite its many limitations, value-at-risk (VAR) is still the most commonly used risk profile measuring tool in the energy industry. In this first article in a new series, Chris Strickland discusses why the energy industry’s love affair with VAR could…
Refiners seek innovative tools for risk management
Battered by tight margins and volatile oil markets, refiners are exploring a range of innovative tools to contain costs and improve risk management. Alexander Osipovich reports
Cutting edge: Valuation of spread commodity structures
In this paper, Dan Mahoney and Krzysztof Wolyniec show that in co-integrated (mean-reverting) futures markets, active dynamic hedging is required to realise the quadratic variation of the underlying spread process. Using static hedges/portfolios yields…
Refiners step up hedging activity
Refineries in Europe have stepped up their hedging activity in recent months as they take advantage of a recovery in margins, market participants say
Risk & Energy Risk – 2012 Commodity Rankings – energy
After a rollercoaster year in the markets, Morgan Stanley seized the top spot in the 2012 Risk and Energy Risk Commodity Rankings, while its traditional rival, Goldman Sachs, slipped to number two. Alexander Osipovich reports. With additional reporting…
Managing geopolitical risk in energy markets
The increasing influence of geopolitical risk on energy markets is forcing risk managers to reassess their risk management strategies around such event-type risk, finds Gillian Carr
Analysts upbeat on outlook for Saudi Aramco’s new trading unit
Saudi Aramco’s new trading unit, Aramco Trading, could become a serious competitor in the refined product space and boost volumes at the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, say analysts
Keystone XL pipeline decision leaves Canada looking eastward
The US rejection of TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline will hinder the development of the Alberta oil sands, while making the option of exporting crude to Asia more attractive for Canada, analysts say
Marginal oil gaining market share, setting higher floor price
Marginal oil, with its greater risks and higher cost of production, will exert more influence on oil prices as it moves to becoming 10% of global supply by 2035. Gillian Carr reports
Energy experts debate merits of speculators and position limits
CFTC and Goldman Sachs executives discuss role of speculators in commodities markets during times of volatility