NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts has introduced an updated version of its daily North America Mark-to-Market (M2M) natural gas and power forward curve products, extending durations to 10 years and offering regional packaging and new analytical data.

"By adding seven years of curves data as well as derived-data and price-liquidity indicators, Platts is providing a broadened, cutting-edge suite of data that will better aid businesses in assessing and managing risk," said Paul Waine, global director of Platts' risk data services team.

"Not only does the offering continue to address the industry's need for an independent source of forward-looking data, but it is well suited to a wide range of executives - from traders to risk professionals to finance managers - who have a daily need for risk management solutions."

The expanded risk data products, now entitled Platts M2MS-Gas and Platts M2MS-Power, extend the former products' peak and off-peak forward curves from 36 months to 120 months for North America's 79 natural gas hubs and 48 power hubs and make available the data in five regional packages:

M2MS-Gas --Gulf Coast, Northeast, Mid-Continent, Upper Midwest and West regions

M2MS-Power -- Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Southeast, Northeast, PJM/MISO (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland regional transmission operator/ Midcontinent Independent System Operator) and West regions

Through M2MS-Gas and M2MS-Power, Platts customers gain exclusive access to ICE settlement data, and this data is combined with Platts' extensive spot price history and sophisticated quantitative techniques to provide granular monthly forward curves for both liquid and illiquid trading hubs.

Other features of the enhanced M2MS-Gas and M2MS-Power products:

    --  The addition of historical volatility curves for all 79 natural gas hubs
        and 48 power hubs, with 120-month versions published daily and 240-month
        versions published monthly
    --  Additional derived-data curves (spark spread curves, heat-rate curves
        and historical power-to-gas correlations curves) to subscribers of both
        Platts M2MS-Gas and Platts M2MS-Power
    --  The carryover of 240-month forward curves at month's end
    --  The carryover of balance-of-month (BalMo) natural gas prices
    --  Indicators as to whether each M2MS forward price has been settled at
        ICE, assessed by Platts editors, or was independently derived by Platts
        quantitative methodology are to be introduced soon

The Platts M2M and M2MS products were developed after consultation with a broad array of industry and market participants and are underpinned by Platts' structured methodologies, the details of which are available on the Platts website www.platts.com.

Additional information is also available via the frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) documents: Platts M2MS-Gas and Platts M2MS-Power.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the biofuels, carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, shipping and sugar markets. A division of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), Platts is headquartered in New York with approximately 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts