Professional Documents
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ERP
STUDY GUIDE
®
ENERGY RISK PROFESSIONAL (ERP®) PROGRAM Each year, we invite Certified ERPs from a variety of
The ERP certification is the world’s first and only disciplines and geographies to participate in the exam
internationally recognized designation developed by development process. Our dual collaboration with EOC
energy professionals, for energy professionals, to assess members and certified ERP alumni helps to ensure that
and validate energy professional knowledge and skills. the ERP Exam and its curriculum remain consistent with
It objectively assesses and validates candidates’ skills and current industry practice.
knowledge of the tools used to manage and measure
energy risk. Certified ERPs can apply knowledge about 2018 ERP LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND STUDY GUIDE
the production, transportation, and storage of physical The 2018 ERP Learning Objectives and 2018 Study Guide
energy commodities; structure and practical application are valuable exam tools that candidates should reference
of energy derivatives; assessment of energy market data frequently when preparing for the Exam. Each exam
and price modeling; and identification, measurement, and question is developed from and directly references a
management of risk in the energy industry. specific reading and related learning objective. Candidates
are expected to be familiar with the learning objectives
ERP CURRICULUM and be able to apply the principles on the Exam.
Development of the ERP exam curriculum is guided by
GARP’s Energy Oversight Committee (EOC), a panel of 2018 ERP STUDY GUIDE CHANGES
senior practitioners and academics with energy market Returning 2017 ERP candidates should also review
experience and risk management expertise. The exam the 2018 ERP Study Guide Changes. This document
topics and required readings listed in the 2018 ERP Study summarizes all readings removed from the 2017 curriculum
Guide and 2018 Learning Objectives (LOBs) are updated and includes new readings added for 2018.
annually in conjunction with the EOC to ensure the ERP
Exam remains a timely and accurate assessment of the COMMONLY-USED CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS
knowledge and skills required of energy market and risk Exchange-traded energy commodity futures and option
On the following pages, an asterisk after a reading title indicates that the reading is freely available on the GARP website.
garp.org/erp 1
COMMONLY-USED ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
The following is a list of commonly used abbreviations and acronyms that appear in the LOBs and that may
appear on the Exam:
The four-hour ERP Exam Part I consists of 80 multiple choice questions. The exam structure has been designed in conjunction
with the EOC to assess learning outcomes associated with the physical energy commodity markets based on the following
topics and weights:
garp.org/erp 3
Crude Oil Markets
ERP EXAM PART I
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Crude Oil Markets and Refined Products include
the following:
2. An Introduction to Petroleum Refining and the Production of Ultra Low Sulfur Gasoline and Diesel Fuel,
The International Council on Clean Transportation. (MathPro, October 2011).*
3. Charlotte Wright, Fundamentals of Oil & Gas Accounting, 6th Edition. (Tulsa, OK: PennWell Books, 2017).
• Chapter 15. Conveyances (pp. 557 - 582 only)
• Chapter 17. Reserve Valuation
• Chapter 18. Accounting for International Petroleum Operations
5. Allegro Energy Group, How Pipelines Make the Oil Market Work – Their Networks, Operation, and Regulation,
(December 2001).*
6. Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Lending, (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, March 2016).*
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Natural Gas and Coal Markets
ERP EXAM PART I
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Natural Gas and Coal Markets include
the following:
Natural Gas
} Physical properties of natural gas
• Types of natural gas, units of measure, and heat content
• NGLs and condensates
} Global natural gas markets and economic fundamentals
• Market dynamics and pricing
• Gas sales agreements and trading
} Transportation and storage economics
} LNG
• Market dynamics and pricing
• Contracts and shipping
Coal
} Physical properties of coal
• Types of coal, units of measure, and heat content
• Benchmarks, contract specifications, and trading
• Global coal markets and economic fundamentals
} Transportation
3. Anthony J. Melling, Natural Gas Pricing and its Future: Europe as the Battleground. (Carnegie Endowment,
2010).*
• Chapter 1. The Development of European Gas Contracting
• Chapter 2. The Dynamics Between Oil-Indexed and Spot Prices
• Appendix. Key Terms of Long-Term Oil-Indexed Take-or-Pay Contracts
4. Jonathan Stern and Howard Rogers, The Dynamics of a Liberalised European Gas Market – Key Determinants of
Hub Prices, and Roles and Risks of Major Players. (Oxford Energy, December 2014) Sections 1.1 – 1.4 only.*
5. Michael D. Tusiani and Gordon Shearer, LNG: Fuel for a Changing World - A Nontechnical Guide - 2nd Edition
(Tulsa, OK: PennWell Books, 2016).
• Chapter 12. LNG Project Formation
• Chapter 13. Upstream Gas Supply Agreements
• Chapter 14. LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement
• Chapter 15. LNG Tanker Contracts
6. William Leffler, Natural Gas Liquids: A Non-Technical Guide (Tulsa, OK: PennWell, 2014).
• Chapter 6. Refineries and the Unnatural Gas Liquids
• Chapter 7. Logistics
• Chapter 8. NGL Markets - Petrochemicals
• Chapter 9. NGL Markets - Fuels
7. Chris Le Fevre, Oxford Energy: Gas Storage in Great Britain (January 2013).*
• Chapter 2. The Role of Gas Storage
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Electricity Markets and Power Generation
ERP EXAM PART I
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Electricity Markets and Power Generation include
the following:
} Properties of electricity
• Types of power generation
• Transmission and distribution
} Electricity market economics
• Base load, mid-merit, peak, and off-peak generation
• Capacity factor, heat rate, and spark spread
• Market data and price discovery
} Investing in generating capacity
} Electric energy markets and trading
• Power pools (ISOs and RTOs) and bilateral trading
• Contracts and structured solutions for energy markets
} Liberalized (deregulated) wholesale power market design
• Energy markets (day-ahead vs. real-time) and balancing markets
• Energy-only vs. capacity markets
• Ancillary services
• Integration of renewable energy
} Global electricity markets and economic fundamentals
} Emission reduction programs and regulation
1. John E. Parsons, Introduction to Electricity Markets, 2017 Energy Risk Professional (ERP) Exam Part I (Hoboken,
NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2017).†
• Chapter 1. Industry Overview
• Chapter 2. Load
• Chapter 3. Generation
• Chapter 4. Transmission
• Chapter 5. Economic Optimization of the System
• Chapter 6. Bilateral Contracts and Trading
• Chapter 7. Centralized Markets for Energy
• Chapter 8. Other Electricity Markets
• Chapter 9. Emissions Markets
2. Rafal Weron, Modeling and Forecasting Electricity Loads and Prices. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006)
• Chapter 1. Complex Electricity Markets
3. Kenneth Skinner, Heat Rates, Spark Spreads and the Economics of Tolling Agreements (December 2010).*
4. Quadrennial Technology Review 2015, Chapter 4: Technology Assessments – Solar Power Technologies. (US
Department of Energy, 2015).*
5. Rebecca Busby, Wind Power: The Industry Grows Up. (Tulsa, OK: PennWell Books, 2012).
• Chapter 6. Wind Farms: Developing and Operating Wind Power Plants
6. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy Integration in Power Grids (April 2015).*
7. KU Leuven Energy Institute, The Current Electricity Market Design in Europe (2015).*
10. KU Leuven Energy Institute, Storage Technologies for the Power System (2014).*
11. KU Leuven Energy Institute, Cross-Border Electricity Trading: Towards Flow-Based Market Coupling (2015).*
12. German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Emissions Trading Basic Principles and Experiences in Europe and
Germany (November 2016).*
13. World Economic Forum, The Future of Electricity New Technologies Transforming the Grid Edge (March 2017).*
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ERP Exam Part II
The four-hour ERP Exam Part II consists of 60 multiple choice questions. The exam structure has been designed in conjunction
with the EOC to assess learning outcomes associated with financial energy products; probability, statistics, data analysis and
energy price modeling; and the identification, measurement, and management of energy market, counterparty credit, and
operational risks, based on the following topics and weights:
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Financial Energy Products include the following:
1. Jon Gregory, Central Counterparties. (West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2014).
• Chapter 2. Exchanges, OTC Derivatives, DPCs and SPVs (Sections 2.1 and 2.2 only)
• Chapter 3. Basic Principles of Central Clearing
2. Robert McDonald, Derivatives Markets, 3rd Edition. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., 2013).
• Chapter 4. Introduction to Risk Management
• Chapter 6. Commodity Forwards and Futures (Sections 6.1 to 6.3, and 6.6 to 6.8 only)
3. Glen Swindle, Valuation and Risk Management in Energy Markets. (New York, NY: Cambridge Press, 2014).
• Chapter 2. Forwards and Carry
5. Betty J. Simkins and Russell E. Simkins, editors, Energy Finance and Economics: Analysis and Valuation, Risk
Management, and the Future of Energy. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2013).
• Chapter 11. Real Options and Applications in the Energy Industry
6. S. Mohamed Dafir and Vishnun N. Gajjala, Fuel Hedging and Risk Management. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, 2016).
• Chapter 2. Major Energy Consumers and the Rationale for Fuel Hedging
• Chapter 4. Shipping and Airlines – Basics for Fuel Hedging
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Risk Assessment and Energy Modeling
ERP EXAM PART II
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Risk Assessment and Energy Modeling include
the following:
1. Michael Miller, Mathematics and Statistics for Financial Risk Management, 2nd Edition. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 2017).
• Chapter 2. Probabilities
• Chapter 3. Basic Statistics (Sections on Averages through Kurtosis, pp. 29-53 only)
• Chapter 4. Distributions (Sections on Parametric Distribution through Student’s t Distribution, pp. 61-79 only)
• Chapter 10. Linear Regression Analysis
2. Les Clewlow and Chris Strickland, Energy Derivatives: Pricing and Risk Management. (Sydney, AUS: Lacima
Publications, 2000).
• Chapter 2. Understanding and Analyzing Spot Prices
• Chapter 3. Volatility Estimation in Energy Markets (Sections 3.1 and 3.2 only)
3. Rafal Weron, Modeling and Forecasting Electricity Loads and Prices. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006).
• Chapter 2. Stylized Facts of Electricity Loads and Prices (Sections 2.1-2.4 and 2.7 only)
• Chapter 3. Modeling and Forecasting Electricity Loads
The broad areas of knowledge covered in readings related to Risk Management Tools include the following:
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Readings for Risk Management Tools | 30 Questions
ERP EXAM PART II
1. Glen Swindle, Valuation and Risk Management in Energy Markets. (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press,
2014).
• Chapter 16. Control, Risk Metrics and Credit
2. John C. Hull, Risk Management and Financial Institutions, 4th Edition. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015).
• Chapter 8. How Traders Manage Risk
• Chapter 10. Volatility
• Chapter 12. Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall
• Chapter 24. Liquidity Risk
3. Les Clewlow and Chris Strickland, Energy Derivatives: Pricing and Risk Management. (Sydney, AUS: Lacima
Publishing, 2000).
• Chapter 10. Value-at-Risk
4. Kevin Dowd, Measuring Market Risk, 2nd Edition. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2005).
• Chapter 13. Stress Testing
5. Markus Burger, Bernhard Graeber, and Gero Schindlmayr, Managing Energy Risk: An Integrated View on Power
and Other Energy Markets, 2nd Edition. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2014).
• Chapter 3. Risk Management (Section 3.4 Credit Risk only)
6. Jon Gregory, The xVA Challenge: Counterparty Credit Risk, Funding, Collateral and Capital, 3rd Edition.
(Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015).
• Chapter 4. Counterparty Risk (Sections 4.1 to 4.3 only)
• Chapter 5. Netting, Close-Out, and Related Aspects
• Chapter 6. Collateral (Sections 6.1 to 6.6 only)
• Chapter 7. Credit Exposure and Funding (Sections 7.1 to 7.4 only)
• Chapter 10. Quantifying Credit Exposure (Sections 10.1 to 10.4.5 only)
• Chapter 12. Default Probabilities, Credit Spreads and Funding Costs (Sections 12.1 to 12.2.5 only)
• Chapter 14. Credit Value Adjustment (Sections 14.1 to 14.2.8 only)
• Chapter 17. Wrong-Way Risk (Sections 17.1 to 17.2.4 only)
7. Aswath Damodaran, Country Risk Determinants, Measures and Implications – 2015 Edition. (July 2015) (Pages 1
to 39 only).*
8. James Lam, Implementing Enterprise Risk Management – From Methods to Applications. (Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons, 2017).
• Chapter 7. The ERM Framework
• Chapter 13. Risk Control Self-Assessments
• Chapter 15. Strategic Risk Management
• Chapter 17. Integration of KPIs and KRIs
9. Shyam Venkat and Stephen Baird, Liquidity Risk Management – A Practitioner’s Perspective. (Hoboken, NJ:
John Wiley & Sons, 2016).
• Chapter 3. Liquidity Stress Testing
• Chapter 7. Contingency Funding Planning
10. Michel Crouhy, Dan Galai, and Robert Mark, The Essentials of Risk Management, 2nd Edition (New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Education, 2014).
• Chapter 17. Risk Capital Attribution and Risk-Adjusted Performance Measurement
11. World Energy Council, World Energy Perspectives, The Road to Resilience: Managing Cyber Risks (2016).
12. John Fraser, Betty Simkins, and Kristina Narvaez, Implementing Enterprise Risk Management: Case Studies and
Best Practices (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2015).
• Chapter 4. Value and Risk: Enterprise Risk Management at Statoil
• Chapter 20. Implementing Risk Management within Middle Eastern Oil and Gas Companies
garp.org/erp 15
2018 Energy Oversight Committee
Richard Apostolik................................................................................................ Global Association of Risk Professionals
garp.org
The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) is the leading
association dedicated to the education and certification of risk
professionals, connecting members in more than 190 countries and
territories. GARP’s mission is to elevate the practice of risk management
at all levels, setting the industry standard through education, training,
media, and events.