The “perfect storm” of high petroleum prices, along with the recent technological innovations and a new map of geo-politics, have led to new developments in the hydrocarbon markets. Natural Gas is the fuel of choice in an environmentally conscious world. With its clean burning characteristics and favorable downstream business, it is a “bridge” to a future energy economy. However, there are regional and global challenges. The dynamics of the financial and physical markets are crucial to any future investment decision.
This Natural Gas Physical and Financial Markets training course discusses the dynamics of the natural gas markets and the characteristics of the business. It further introduces the audience to the fundamentals of the hydrocarbon industry and highlights the role of natural gas in the energy mix of the future. It discusses the of natural gas value chain—from exploration, to development, production, and marketing. The challenges in transportation of natural gas have led to an exciting (and potentially profitable) developments in trades and technology—such as the advent of liquified natural gas (LNG) industry. Our focus would be on key market insights for major industrial decisions.
This Natural Gas Physical and Financial Markets training course will highlight:
- The new energy landscape and the role of the natural gas industry
- Hydrocarbon markets and regional natural gas markets
- Dynamics of the commodity markets and implications for industrial decisions
- Natural gas value chain and key investment decisions
- Risk management strategies: hedging, diversification, and insurance
- Pricing and contracting mechanisms
- Market insights for project feasibility studies
Within hydrocarbon markets, all trading and investment decisions have uncertain outcomes. The natural gas business has in addition unique features that justify added studies. Our goal is to convey the message that value creation in this industry involves risks and opportunities. Learning about the market mechanisms, price dynamics, and investment valuation methods leads to insights that supports good decision making.
At the end of this Natural Gas Physical and Financial Markets training course, participants will learn to:
- Explain the risk-reward relationship for energy commodities
- Analyze the financial risk and rewards in the natural gas investment and trading
- Develop a useful understanding of the economics of energy
- Develop an overall understanding of the markets and natural gas price dynamics
- Use market instruments, e. g., forwards, futures, and options to hedge price risk
- Apply the understanding about trading, hedging, and diversification methods to analysis
- Use analytic insights for prudent trading and strategic decision making
The instructor uses a proven learning technology that has been implemented with considerable success. The sessions include lectures, discussions, and guided real-world practice. The aim is to develop problem-solvers and effective decision makers rather than merely conveying information
All firms, including energy companies, run businesses. For them, creating value should be the goal. With uncertain prices and costs, the challenge in the natural gas industry is in good managerial decision making. The firms should be able to find (and invest in) valuable ventures. This training course trains individuals that
- Increase organization’s capabilities in analyzing and pricing the uncertain ventures in the natural gas industry
- Possess knowledge and skills to deal with natural gas trading and investment decisions
- Are effective in enhancing value chain through hedging risks and capitalizing on the upsides
- Understand the overall mechanics of the markets and appeal of the ventures
- Support the prudent decision-making process in projects
- Open doors to further opportunities and more informed decisions
Gaining knowledge and skills in the risk-reward relationships of energy markets opens one’s perspectives. This is because the skills lead to improved decision-making that enhance the value of the person in an organization. The set of skills and knowledge that this training course offers prepares individuals for a more effective role within the process of trading and investment in the natural gas business (and in general, the energy landscape).
The delegates attending this Natural Gas Physical and Financial Markets training course will have the following benefits;
- Prepares individuals for a role with wider insights and perspective
- Gives participants a more informed frame of mind and generate valuable insights
- Supports their existing knowledge and skillset with analytical capabilities
- Enables participants to analyze complex trading and investment decisions
- Develops personal skills in understanding energy markets, corporate finance, and effective decision making
We take a global perspective in this training course and the material would be useful for managers and decision makers in the natural gas business. The training course is also relevant to analysts, engineers, and consultants that support the process of decision making. Professionals interested in the practice of pricing and risk management also find this training course useful.
This Natural Gas Physical and Financial Markets training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:
- Management team interested in understanding market mechanisms and value creation in natural gas business
- Commercial staff interested in gaining in-depth knowledge of natural gas pricing and risk management
- Decision makers involved in trading and investment
- Analysts interested in learning about analytics that support natural gas project decisions
- Researchers and practitioners who aim to broaden their knowledge of the business
DAY ONE: A “PERFECT STORM” IN THE ENERGY INDUSTRY
- A brief history of the petroleum industry
- Development of the markets: Crude oil, natural gas, and their products
- The value chain of energy projects
- Oil market as a world market; regional natural gas markets
- Natural gas market and transportation: Pipelines and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)
- The regional markets of the natural gas and the promise of LNG
- Introduction to economic decision making
DAY TWO: THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY: AN OVERVIEW AND MARKET DYNAMICS
- Why has natural gas industry scale recently grown?
- The markets and the geo-politics of energy
- Economic dynamics of the energy industry and the role of natural gas as a transitional energy
- Investing in projects and value creation
- Economic analysis of projects
- Measures of value
- Valuation for decision making
DAY THREE: INVESTING IN NATURAL GAS AND MANAGING OPERATIONS
- Principles of corporate finance for the oil and gas companies
- Behavioral finance and international business
- Economic value added in the context of natural gas projects
- Project feasibility analysis
- Decision measures
- Risk and uncertainty in the natural gas business
- Commodity markets and arbitrage opportunities
- How to mitigate risks and capitalize on the upsides
DAY FOUR: MARKETS AND MARKET INSTRUMENTS
- Forward, futures, and options contracts
- Incorporating flexibility to gain from the upside potentials
- Long term contracts, price negotiations, and their role in managing the risks
- Hedging risks using market instruments. Is a perfect hedge possible?
- Arbitrage opportunities of the natural gas markets: Using LNG vessels to reap benefits
- Managerial decision making in an uncertain world
- Portfolio of downstream and Upstream projects
DAY FIVE: VALUATION, PORTFOLIO EFFECTS, AND STRATEGY
- Forecasting for international business: valuation, project finance, and strategy
- Interwoven uncertain factors of the business: subsurface and above the surface
- Currency exchange and political risks: two features of international business
- Partnerships could be win-win once they create an economic advantage
- Emerging environmental concerns and the emission markets: CO2 and NOx
- Concluding remarks: does “fortune favor the bold”?