The trading, scheduling, and supply chains of natural gas have become increasingly complex. In addition, the growing LNG market presents its own unique set of operational challenges. (Learn more in "Using ETRM Software to Deal with the Fading Promise of LNG.") Companies that produce, distribute, and trade natural gas need advanced software to remain profitable in volatile markets. Natural gas has the potential to become the dominant fossil fuel in the future, but producers and users will need to ensure they have the most advanced energy trading and risk management (ETRM) software platform to manage the entire supply chain. When researching ETRM software, there are certain features that natural gas companies should look for.
Features to Look for in ETRM Software Supporting Natural Gas
Some of the features to look for in ETRM software supporting natural gas trading and natural gas risk management include:
- Complete scheduling and logistics functionality from simple back-to-back matching of trades to support for extremely complex itineraries that have multiple legs and multiple modes
- All storage costs and gas storage valuation types, including WACOG
- Seamless process for efficient scheduling of natural gas positions that are to be liquefied and regasified
- Mid-stream NGL deals supported, including processing and fractionation
- All types of storage plans to track injection and withdrawal rates
- Scenario optimization, “what-if” deals, stress testing, VaR, Monte Carlo simulation, and other advanced risk management techniques
Using ETRM software with these features enables traders, risk managers, schedulers, and accountants to gain a real-time view of information from original trade through to final destination.
Benefits of ETRM Software
Next-generation ETRM software provides these benefits to the organization:
- Improve operating margins with better forecasting of the volume of natural gas coming in and out of physical plants
- Gain real-time P&L data throughout the day
- Understand the underlying causes driving P&L changes with P&L attribution
- Increase efficiency with software that supports complex scheduling using real-time balance, capacity, and transportation cost data
- Manage extremely complex itineraries with multiple legs across the entire pipeline network
- Track costs throughout the entire product lifecycle from production to sale of end products using the netback feature
"Tourmaline had outgrown its current systems and it was imperative we invest in an advanced, multi-commodity ETRM software platform to support our rapidly expanding oil and gas operations. Eka offered the most comprehensive solution with the lowest total cost of ownership,
providing the best value. With a single platform that integrates all front, middle, and back
office functions, everyone has the information needed to best perform their roles."
— Sherra Aspin, Manager Natural Gas, Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Eka's Next-Generation ETRM Software Supports Natural Gas
Natural gas has a very important future role in the energy supply for the world, but its prices are extremely volatile and businesses require sophisticated ETRM software platforms to manage trading, risk, and scheduling. Eka’s InSight CM - Natural Gas platform enables optimal decisions around trade execution, risk management, position management, P&L, and scheduling. Use Eka's InSight CM - Natural Gas to manage the entire lifecycle of natural gas including transaction capture, scheduling, confirmations, operations, risk management, credit, and settlement, and gain a competitive advantage.
Natural Gas Trading and Risk Software to Support Hedging
Eka understands the specific and unique requirements of traders, risk managers, schedulers, and accountants working at natural gas companies. Hedging price risk is of paramount importance. To do this, companies need next-generation natural gas solutions that not only transact and capture data in real-time but also provide critical business intelligence and analysis information. Partner with Eka to optimize decisions around trade execution, position management, and scheduling.
Gas Scheduling Software to Improve Logistics
With Eka’s next-generation ETRM software platform, InSight CM - Natural Gas, traders, schedulers, risk managers, and accountants have the real-time data needed to deliver the efficient, profitable trading and scheduling of natural gas. InSight CM - Natural Gas supports complex scheduling using real-time balance, capacity, and transportation cost data. The platform supports extremely complicated itineraries with multiple legs across the entire pipeline network.