Articles by Alexander Osipovich
Ice bows to pressure on Brent contract changes
Exchange delays plan to shift expiry calendar for Brent crude oil futures and options after firms complain they need more time to prepare
Dodd-Frank commodity option rules sow confusion among energy firms
Confusion over CFTC rules is tying US energy firms in knots, as they struggle to determine whether their physically settled commodity options need to comply with critical rules issued under the US Dodd-Frank Act. Alexander Osipovich reports
Brent options trading disrupted by Ice expiry date shift
Proposals to ensure convergence between futures and physical Brent cause firms to avoid trading long-dated options
Barclays enters supply-and-offtake deal with US refinery
Barclays clinches deal with Hawaii refinery as US Federal Reserve scrutinises physical commodity trading by banks
Hess CRO Jonathan Stein prepares for shake-up
As Hess turns into a leaner, upstream-focused oil company, chief risk officer Jonathan Stein tells Alexander Osipovich how enterprise risk management will assist in the firm’s transformation
Report urges US coal producers to step up trading activities
Deloitte calls on US coal producers to set up prop trading desks and engage in more international origination
Commodity trading houses face questions over systemic risk
The rapid growth of commodity trading houses has led critics to question whether these firms have become a source of systemic risk. But trading houses strongly reject such arguments, and suggest they are little more than paper tigers. Alexander Osipovich…
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…
Oil producer hedging surges amid Middle East turmoil
Elevated WTI prices, pushed up by regional unrest, are creating opportunities for US oil producers to hedge
Critics assail industry-sponsored study on HFT
Critics say industry-sponsored study into impact of high-frequency trading in futures markets is flawed
Commodity hedgers alarmed by CFTC margin proposals
Margin rules proposed after the collapse of MF Global could dramatically raise the cost of hedging, complain market participants
Banks’ physical commodity trading comes under scrutiny
Amid a review of a 2003 determination by the Federal Reserve, the involvement of US banks in physical commodities has come under fire from regulators, politicians and the media. Could they really be forced to exit physical trading? Alexander Osipovich…
EPA rules may create new opportunities for US carbon traders
The US government is planning to use the Environmental Protection Agency to combat climate change, in a move that could create new opportunities for carbon traders, according to lawyers and analysts. Alexander Osipovich reports
Energy end-users may miss Dodd-Frank reporting deadline
Energy derivatives end-users face uphill struggle to comply with reporting rules when no-action relief expires
Head oil trader leaves Barclays
Shake-up at Barclays continues as George Cultraro, global head of crude oil and refined products, leaves the bank
Ferc targets power market gaming with JP Morgan fine
Record $410 million settlement demonstrates zero-tolerance approach towards exploitation of market design flaws
Bank physical commodity trading attacked in US Senate hearing
Physical trading by banks said to inflate commodity prices, increase systemic risk and threaten shortage of beer cans
Bribery laws pose compliance challenge for energy firms
Oil and gas firms still face compliance challenge from anti-bribery laws, despite court judgement against Dodd-Frank disclosure rules
Liquidity improves in Canadian heavy oil derivatives
Trading in derivatives linked to Western Canadian Select (WCS) heavy crude oil has jumped in the past few years, giving the country's producers improved opportunities to hedge. But the lack of a unified WCS price index has made it difficult for liquidity…
Ercot's Doggett on keeping the lights on in Texas
Despite worries about a shortfall in generation capacity, Trip Doggett, president and chief executive of Ercot, is proud that Texas has the liveliest deregulated power market in the US. He speaks to Alexander Osipovich
BP registers as swap dealer
BP registers its US-based energy trading subsidiary as a swap dealer, becoming the first oil and gas major to opt for dealer status under Dodd-Frank
CFTC cleans house at FCMs
CFTC has increased its scrutiny of futures brokers and their handling of customer funds since MF Global collapse
Energy Risk Canada: Rules on derivatives dealers need work, regulator says
Alberta securities regulator acknowledges proposals on derivatives dealer registration have alarmed energy firms
Futurisation dooms energy swap execution facilities
The US Dodd-Frank Act envisioned a new type of trading venue for over-the-counter derivatives, known as swap execution facilities (Sefs). But in the energy markets, at least, it appears Sefs are dead and traditional futures exchanges have emerged…