Operational risk
Tools for the trade
Ken Nichols examines the mechanisms available for incorporating credit risk management into an energy company’s portfolio
Natural gas storage: a market driver changes horses
Given the importance of natural gas storage figures to energy market traders and analysts, a change in the provider and timing of the data release is an event of some significance. Software provider Logical Information Machines reports
Discovering new frontiers
Joerg Engels and Volker Linde report on the changes Germany’s deregulated energy market will have to make as a result of the country’s banking act
Mean-reverting smiles
Commodity markets such as crude oil exhibit mean reversion as well as option smiles. David Beaglehole and Alain Chebanier meet this challenge, constructing a model suitable for pricing exotic options in these markets
Utilities renegotiate to survive
For the past 10 years, Argentina’s privatised utilities have been icons of successful energy sector reform. But with the country’s deepening crisis, they face increased difficulties. What can investors do to mitigate such risks, asks Maria Kielmas
Mixed signals from the east
Flaws in Poland’s electricity regime have crippled Warsaw’s two-year-old power exchange. But Slovenia’s power exchange is faring rather better. Peter Joy reports
A cure for Enron flu
Brett Humphreys discusses recent events in the energy sector and the role risk managers can play in improving the industry
Worth waiting for?
Just over a year on from the delayed launch of the UK’s new electricity trading arrangements, prices have dropped to new lows. But just how low can generators go, asks Joel Hanley
Keeping score
This month Brett Humphreys and Zach Jonasson show how energy trading firms can compare performance using publicly available corporate information
Banks take shelter in derivatives
While some banks have found the weather derivatives market a non-starter, others are doing deals worth more than $100 million. Eurof Thomas reports
A smooth handover?
A change in the way weekly natural gas storage figures are reported is proceeding fairly smoothly – but it may still cause price swings, as Kevin Foster discovers
Quantifying technical analysis
In the last of our series of tutorials on risk management tools, Richard Weissman provides an overview of technical analysis for the energy business
Covering the threat
Since September 11, energy companies have had to re-assess the threat of terrorist attack. Despite the insurance industry introducing new terms and products, some companies remain unprotected, as Joel Hanley discovers
Pause for thought?
Electricity deregulation in Ontario promises to avoid the price hikes and power shortages seen in some markets. So why are end-users unhappy? Kevin Foster reports
Navigating a troubled road
Don Stowers finds the online energy trading market place as competitive as ever, with several new platforms ready to enter the fray