In many markets, information concerning forward prices is not available, making the direct modeling of forward curves a difficult task. With derivatives usually written on forward contracts and based on average prices of forward contracts, it is difficult to obtain analytical expressions for forward curves. Because of recent price volatility, organizations are increasingly looking to […]
Success in life requires trial and error, positivity, hard work, and, above all, adherence to a strong, personal vision. I believe this to be the core message articulated by Dr. Zak El-Ramly, President and CEO of the ZE family of companies, in his March 4 lecture to a group of students, alumni, and faculty at […]
Petrochemical Trouble Brewing in the Middle Kingdom On April 28, 2014, Reuters and other sources reported that Sinopec Corp, the largest petrochemical producer in China, had put on hold a massive $3.1 billion USD ethylene plant in Qingdao, a refinery hub in China’s Shandong province.[1] The official reason cited was a safety reassessment, following last November’s […]
Data management continues to be a challenge for the participants in the global energy and commodity industry. Microsoft conducted a survey interviewing 282 major IT decision-makers in 2013 and concluded that 49% of respondents rated managing data growth as “extremely challenging” when managing their companies’ business intelligence, 41% rating integrating disparate BI tools as “extremely […]
The exit polls say it’s neck and neck, but currency traders bet that Scotland will reject independence, as the British pound sterling hit a two-year high against the euro today. The pound gained a third of a per cent to trade at 1.2687 euros – the highest level since April 2012.[1] The ZEMA graph in […]
Myth: Encryption makes your data secure. Fact: Encryption is only one way to secure data. Other methods (often used together) include access control, data integrity, system availability, and auditing. Data security refers to protective digital privacy measures that are applied to prevent unauthorized users from accessing computers, databases, and websites or corrupting data.[1] Some organizations […]
The recent string of rebel takeovers in Iraq has affected not only the safety of its people but global energy markets as well. The last week of June 2014 marked a significant date for Brent-WTI spread pricing, as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) rebels took over Iraq’s largest oil refinery, Baiji. […]
ZEMA is a superior data management solution that provides its users with easy access to an extensive data library. ZEMA offers powerful and easy-to-use tools to collect, validate, and analyze large quantities of data in one centralized place. ZEMA’s analyses can then be easily integrated with downstream systems. One of the most sought-after functionalities of […]
Information systems are the backbone of businesses that rely upon data to enhance their decision making processes. Data within most organizations is replicated across a number of such systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), energy trading and risk management (ETRM), and business intelligence (BI) systems such as Spotfire. These downstream systems have different capabilities and requirements […]
I am not sure what other industry event or announcement could have had a more prominent and extended effect on natural gas markets than the simple contract entered between Russia and China, two countries located on an opposing side of the Earth from North America. Is this contract a disaster or a savior for those […]
