Energy Risk
Nord Pool’s back-up
Nord Pool Clearing is the first pure electricity clearing house to obtain capitalsupport through insurance to cover defaults by its trading counterparties. Areenergy companies set to follow suit? Joe Marsh reports
The cost of optimism
Petroleum engineers and financial regulators have never spoken the same language,as the recent Royal Dutch/Shell debacle has shown. And this has led to confusionover state oil reserves. By Maria Kielmas
A history lesson
Abstract: The size of bid/ask spreads in electricity options has both valuationand credit implications. Here, Ted Kury of The Energy Authority shows how toderive theoretical spreads using historical option price data so they can beused as liquidity…
The waiting game
The Italian power market has finally opened to competition, but how long willenergy users have to wait until they can trade on the new electricity exchange? Joe Marsh reports
Fair weather future
Judging from the success of the weather risk market in the Asia-Pacific region,the Chicago Mercantile Exchange couldn’t have picked a more opportune timeto launch Japanese weather futures. By Paul Lyon
ABN Amro poaches BNP Paribas energy heads
Dutch bank ABN Amro today said it has hired Wayne Harburn, BNP Paribas’ former head of European energy trading, as well as Vincent Chevance, the French bank’s head of marketing for energy derivatives. BNP Paribas was not immediately able to say who would…
The right charge
Savvy firms now accept risk is inevitable. Those that use their risk capitalefficiently outperform those that don’t. Brett Humphreys looks at alternativeinvestments to find out what the right risk-adjusted return on capital chargesmight be
Heart broker
A bitter dispute involving an employment contract, three coal brokers and a claimfor £2 million in damages has highlighted the importance of observing contractuallaw when hiring and firing. By James Ockenden
EU adopts linking directive...
The European parliament has given the thumbs-up to the so-called linking directiveallowing companies within member states to benefit from emissions projects outsideof the EU. By James Ockenden and Paul Lyon
ESB wins Esso price battle
Esso and Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board entered into a seemingly straightforward15-year contract for the sale and purchase of natural gas in 1999. But the contracthas raised the issue of how to define ‘market price’. By James Ockenden
Isda raises Basel-linked concerns
Bankers have been preparing for the implementation of the Basel II Capital Accordfor a number of years. But Isda says that it is still concerned about the effectthe Accord may have on the commodities markets. By Paul Lyon
Energia selects SunGard’s Entegrate ZaiNet
Energia, part of the Viridian Group, has selected SunGard’s Entegrate ZaiNet for the straight-through processing and risk management of its physical and financial power and gas contracts.
EU adopts linking directive for emissions trading
The European parliament today voted to adopt the directive linking the European Union emissions trading scheme to other trading systems and CO2 reduction projects. The parliament agreed on a text for the linking directive earlier this month.
Governments face carbon allocation legal action
European governments face legal action from industry if they fail to provide carbon allocation plans by the end of the year, according to Peter Vis of the climate change unit of the European Commission.
Dollar distress
Scottish Power has announced a £400 million cash windfall through its currencyhedging programme. Others have not been so lucky – but everyone is nowwaking up to currency trading. By James Ockenden
The matrix
Abstract: Portfolio-wide risk management requires a model that accounts correctlyfor the volatility of, and the correlations between electricity forward products.In this paper Kjersti Aas and KjetilK°aresen discuss a joint model for electricityforward…
Crude protection
Oil producers are divided over the value of hedging oil prices. Are investorslooking for high returns and high risk, or more stable revenues? And how muchdoes hedging actually boost an oil producer’s value? By Joe Marsh
Using a square peg
Hedging load exposures is a complex issue, and plumping for hedging the expectedvolume is unlikely to be the best solution. Brett Humphreys and RahulGill showthat sometimes, the best hedge of a shaped position is an over-hedge
Icap will not pay Prebon’s £2m damage claim
Icap has no intention of recognising rival broker Prebon’s £2 million claim for damages after a dispute over the employment of three Icap coal brokers, according to its director of corporate affairs Mike Sheard.