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Course Level
Introduction
Delivery Method
Classroom Instructor-Led Course
Professional Development Credit Hours
16
Pre-requisites
Recommended: Fundamentals of Energy Futures, Fundamentals of Options, Front to Back Office: Trading Controls and Best Practices or equivalent knowledge.

"Excellent class. Instructor was an excellent teacher who used slides, hand-on exercises, videos and stories to bring the course material to us." Shell


Faculty

Dr. Carlos Blanco is a financial risk management expert with over 20 years of diverse experience in energy markets. He has worked with some of the largest energy and commodity market firms worldwide providing educational, advisory services and software solutions.

He is the managing director of analytic solutions for Ascend Analytics. He has advised risk groups and senior management in oil, gas, power, mining and trading firms on various matters related to the risk management process including risk policy, hedging strategy, risk model development and validation, risk appetite and risk metrics.

Dr. Blanco is an active faculty member for Mennta Energy Solutions since 2004, and he has conducted a wide range of energy derivatives hedging, pricing and risk management seminars worldwide. A frequent conference speaker and writer, he has coauthored over 150 articles for Energy Risk Magazine, Commodities Now, Energy Metro Desk, Oil and Gas Journal and others.

He is a former VP Risk Solutions at Financial Engineering Associates, Inc (a MSCI/BARRA Company), where he managed the market risk suite of products as well as the firm's product support and professional services group. He also taught finance at the University of California, Berkeley, and the ABN AMRO Academy. He is a former VP Risk Solutions at Financial Engineering Associates, Inc (a MSCI/BARRA Company), where he managed the market risk suite of products as well as the firm’s product support and professional services group. He also taught finance at the University of California, Berkeley, and the ABN AMRO Academy. Dr. Blanco was recently awarded the GARP Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certification.


Accreditations

NASBA: Mennta Energy Solutions is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its web site: www.nasbaregistry.org


CPD Certification Services: The CPD Certification Service works with Mennta Energy Solutions to ensure valuable knowledge is structured to complement the universal guidelines of Continuing Professional Development. Mennta Energy Solutions courses are approved by CPD at one credit per training hour.


GARP: Mennta Energy Solutions is registered with GARP as an Approved Provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits.

Introduction to Derivatives Markets, Hedging and Risk Management (CLASSROOM) - DPH1


Course Schedule

Date Time Location Price* Registration Deadline**
23-24 Jun 2025
Register
9:00-17:00
London, UK
GBP 3,050
23 May 2025

*Prices do not include VAT, GST, or any other local taxes. All applicable taxes will be added to the invoice.
**Please register by the deadline to help us ensure sufficient attendance and avoid postponing the course.


Course Summary

Introduction to Derivatives Markets, Hedging, and Risk Management is a two-day instructor-led program presented by the energy training experts at Mennta Energy Solutions. This course provides an overview of energy derivatives and physical markets as well as the main instruments traded by the main market participants to meet their risk management needs.

Delegates will learn the main characteristics physical and paper transactions as well as the pros and cons of commonly used exchange-traded and OTC products. Case studies and practical examples will show how to mitigate market risk of energy exposures using futures, forwards, swaps and options with multiple case studies. 

The course also provides an overview of global spot and forward markets and explores the use of fundamental and technical analysis in the context of trading, hedging and money management.  

This applied course also covers strategic and tactical issues by producers, traders, marketers, and end-users when designing hedging strategies used. Practical case studies show how to evaluate hedge strategies under different risk dimensions in the context of achieving business goals.

Delegates also learn best practices for oversight of derivatives activities, the trade lifecycle and an overview of valuation and hedge accounting of energy derivatives.

Please note: a laptop and up-to-date version of Office would be an advantage in order to engage in market data; however it is not essential.


Who Should Attend?

  • Market risk managers
  • Energy traders
  • Trading managers
  • End-users of derivatives in corporations
  • Credit risk analysts
  • Risk consultants
  • Risk and audit committee members
  • CFOs and treasury managers
  • Finance department personnel
  • Compliance managers
  • Middle and back-office personnel
  • Treasurers and treasury analysts
  • Chief risk officers

Course Content

101: Overview of Energy Physical and Financial Markets

  • Overview of energy markets, risks and main market participants
  • Why are energy markets different?
  • Case study: Risk dimensions in energy markets: Market, Credit, Liquidity, Operational, Model, Volumetric
  • Risk tolerance, appetite and forward-looking risk metrics to measure and manage risk 
  • Trading mechanisms: Exchange-based and OTC trading (Billateral, OTC Clearing)
  • Long and Short: Volumetric vs. Price Exposures
  • Physical vs. Financial settlements
  • Entering into a futures position: Market, limit and Trade at Settlement (TAS) orders 
  • Entering and exiting financial hedges: Bilateral Trading vs. Exchanges

102: Spot Prices and Forward Curves in Energy Markets 

  • Spot (Cash) Prices: Main Characteristics
  • The Brent Complex: Dated-Brent, Physical Forwards, Brent Futures and Brent Swaps
  • Understanding global natural gas and LNG pricing
  • Forward Price Curves: Contango and backwardation
  • Forward Curve developments in response to macro and geopolitical events
  • Building Forward Curves for Mark-to-market and Risk Analysis
  • Forward curves vs. Price Forecasts
  • Arbitrage relations and forward curves
  • Case study: Arbitrage in Contango and Backwardated Markets
  • Price Volatility in Energy Markets. Introduction to historical and implied volatility.

103: Hedging with Physical Forwards and Futures

  • Fixed price vs. Index physical forward contracts
  • Case Study: Hedging physical purchases and sales with fixed price forwards
  • Introduction to futures contracts
  • The Mark-to-market Process. Clearing, collateral and margin issues
  • Case Study: Mark-to-Market and Margin calculations for a futures contract
  • Excel case study: Creating a payoff diagram for linear hedge instruments with Data tables.
  • Hedging with Futures: Main considerations 
  • Hedging an LNG cargo purchase and sale with swaps and futures. 

104: Hedging with Swaps and Futures

  • Fixed for Floating Swaps: Key contract components
  • Differences between futures and swaps
  • Transaction costs and negotiation of swap terms with bilateral counterparties
  • Case study: Hedging Bunker fuel purchases with swaps
  • Unwinding a futures hedge to match average pricing in physical contracts
  • Case study: Hedging fixed price and floating price exposures with futures and swaps
  • Storage hedging strategies with futures using physical and financially settled hedges
  • Comparative analysis of hedging with forwards, futures and swaps
  • Exchange of futures for physical (EFP) and Exchange of future for swaps (EFS)

105: Using Energy Options: Hedging and Speculation

  • Review of options types: Calls, Puts
  • Buying and Selling Options: Understanding option payoffs
  • Why do market participants buy and sell options?
  • Intrinsic and extrinsic value of an option
  • Understanding the main drivers of option premiums
  • Setting revenue floors and cost ceilings (caps) with options
  • Individual options vs. Strips of Options: Examples 
  • Case Study: Hedging against price spikes with options
  • Selling options: Covered and Naked positions

106: Strategic and Tactical Issues around Hedging with Energy Derivatives

  • Best practices in designing and effective hedging program
  • Understanding operations and entity-wide objectives.
  • Evaluating the impact of inaction vs. hedging. Payoffs under different scenarios.
  • Case Study: Analysis of main hedging strategies used by airlines
  • The role of risk and regret in designing and evaluating hedging strategies
  • Hedging alternatives and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs)
  • Case study: KRIs and trade-offs from alternative hedge strategies

 107: Trading Strategy and Technical Analysis

  • Market Psychology and Technical Analysis
  • Line Charts, Bar, and Candlestick Charts
  • Identifying Trends, Support, Resistance
  • Commonly used indicators: Moving Averages, MACDs, RSIs, Bollinger Bands
  • Backtesting Trading Models
  • Commitment of Trader Reports: Hedgers, Money Managers and Market Makers 
  • Integrating Fundamental and Technical Analysis
  • Case study: Using Fundamentals, Technicals and Algorithmic Trading in different market environments
  • Elements of a Trading Strategy and Money Management considerations

 108: Introduction to Derivatives Oversight, Valuation and Disclosures:

  • Best practices in derivatives oversight: Trading and Risk Management policies and procedures
  • Introduction to Fair Value: Mark-to-model vs. Mark to Market
  • Data sources for forward curves. Pros and cons of alternative sources.
  • Valuation of forward contracts and swaps using forward curves in Excel
  • Valuation of Options using Black-76. Introduction to implied volatility and skews
  • Hedging Policy and Derivatives Use Disclosures: Liquidity Levels
  • Hedge effectiveness and accounting issues (IFRS ASC 815)
  • Credit valuation adjustments (CVA)

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