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Training Week
May 15 - 17, 2012
CenterPoint Energy, Downtown Houston, TX
SGA's Training Week provides an excellent opportunity for employees to receive valuable, industry specific training in only a few short days. Workshops are often combined during the week so that attendees can attend multiple classes to get the most benefit out of their travel and schedule.
Beginning with Introduction to the Natural Gas Industry, new employees can get up to speed quickly with a broad overview of the industry. See below for a description of the class. In addition to the Introduction class, participants then have the option of attending other classes that will assist them in their professional development. Some workshops will be offered in parallel, so check schedules accordingly.
Workshops
Registration Fee
Member fee for any single class is $450; Non-member fee is $650.
Discounted fee for two classes - Introduction to the Gas Industry, plus one other, is only $695 member/$945 non-member.
Registration includes comprehensive workbooks, breakfasts, and refreshment breaks for all classes. Lunch is included for days where class extends from morning to afternoon or where attendees are attending multiple workshops.
Professional Development Hours
All classes qualify for professional development hours. Learn more about SGA's PDH program by clicking here.
Introduction to the Natural Gas Industry (Back To List)
8:30 AM Tuesday, May 15 - 12:00 PM Wednesday, May 16
This program provides practical information about the natural gas industry in a fast paced, time saving format. A broad range of subjects will be covered, from exploration and production to the latest technology and issues impacting the industry.
Who Should Attend
Personnel new to the industry or new to a job function, or any employee needing an overview of the gas industry will benefit by attending. Excellent training for employees from natural gas, electric or combination gas/electric companies.
Topics:
- Industry segments - producers, pipelines, gas supply marketers and local distribution companies
- Exploration and production
- The natural gas pipeline transportation system
- How natural gas is bought, sold and transported
- Local distribution company (LDC) operations
- Regulatory agencies - local, state and federal
- LDC sales and marketing
- Environmental and safety issues
- Common terms, definitions and acronyms
- Future trends in the energy industry
Professional Development Hours: 8.5 hours
Introduction to Regulated Natural Gas Accounting (Back To List)
1:30 PM Wednesday, May 16 - 4:00 PM Thursday, May 17
This program provides an overview of the major functions related to gas industry accounting. The information will help new personnel get up to speed quickly on a wide range of accounting processes, including the fundamental issues facing a regulated industry. Covers a wide range of topics, including:
- Universal System of Accounts
- Financial Reporting
- Gas Purchase Accounting
- Taxes
- Property Accounting
- Regulatory Concepts and Concerns
- Regulated vs. Non-regulated Issues Excel and other accounting tools
- The Rate Process
- Billing Procedure
Who Should Attend
Entry level accounting personnel from all departments, including: Gas Accounting; Property Accounting; Budget & Planning; Tax; General Accounting; Financial Reporting; Rate professionals (2 years or less); Individuals from other departments interfacing with accounting.
Professional Development Hours: 9.5 hours
Business, Bucks and the Bottom Line: Understanding Finance and Accounting for the Energy Professional (Back To List)
Tuesday, May 15 - 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Managers need financial information to make tough decisions. This one-day course assists new leaders with what is the right information and helps them learn how to use it.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key financial indicators and metrics necessary to measure business performance
- Make prudent business decisions with regard to expenditures
- Identify ways to manage risk
- Understand key investment strategies
- Understand industry segments – gas supply, marketing, pipeline, rates
Competencies Addressed
- Reviewing and interpreting balance sheets
- Preparing and presenting a budget
- Measuring and managing risk
- Achieving aggressive financial goals
Class Outline
- Introduction and Review of Utility Accounting
- Accounting Hierarchy
- The Unique Nature of Utility Accounting
- Financial Statements
- What Do the Numbers Mean?
- Financial Ratios
- Financing Issues
- Internal Control
- Types of Controls
- Fraud
- Audit Expectations – Internal and External
- Rate Philosophy and Design
- Roundtable Conclusion and Summary
Professional Development Hours: 7 hours
The Ratemaking Process (Back To List)
1:30 PM Wednesday, May 16 - 4:00 PM Thursday, May 17
The first day provides information on the basic components of the rate process from the pipeline and LDC perspective, including fundamentals of the ratemaking process such as:
- Rate of return issues
- Mock rate case exercises
- Revenue requirements
- Cost of service issues
- Rate design components
- Regulatory considerations
- Future trends in ratemaking
The day concludes with an interactive group exercise, the Van Go Transportation Company, which illustrates issues companies face when structuring their rates and determining if services are fixed, variable or both.
The second part of the program provides an opportunity for participants to apply the information they received the previous day in a series of case studies and role playing exercises. The Ratemaking Game - a set of case studies based on actual rate cases - divides participants into role-playing groups comprised of gas company representatives, commissioners, consumer advocates and interveners.
Who Should Attend
- Rate Analysts (two years or less) from LDC, transmission, or gas supply marketing companies
- Non-rate professionals from any department who need a broad understanding of the rate process, including: Operations, Government Relations, Marketing, Public Affairs, Accounting, Engineering and other departments.
Professional Development Hours: 8.5 hours
How Natural Gas is Bought and Sold (Back To List)
1:30 PM Wednesday, May 16 - 4:00 PM Thursday, May 17
This workshop addresses the fundamentals of buying and selling natural gas. The first part of the class covers the phyical system, while the second part covers the financial systems.
Topics include the evolution of gas purchasing; basic knowledge and terms (firm vs. interruptible transportation, GISB, etc.); gas supply and transportation issues (capacity release, price differentials at various pricing points, imbalances, nominations, confirmations/allocations, penalties, cash-outs, force majeure); and risk management (NYMEX, futures, options, swaps).
The 2nd part of the class covers the financial aspects of buying and selling gas, including market analysis, gas purchasing scenarios, the processes involved in developing a supply portfolio, and the different tools and financial mechanisms that can be utilized. The workshop wraps up with a tour of a gas trading floor.
Who Should Attend
- Industrial and commercial marketers that deal with end users who buy large volumes of gas or are transportation customers.
- Entry level gas supply marketing professionals
- Anyone interested in an overview of the gas buying and selling process
Professional Development Hours: 8.5 hours
Managing for Business Results: The Tools and Structures for Organizational Success (Back To List)
8:30 AM Tuesday, May 15 - 12:00 PM Wednesday, May 16
Utilizing modules that build on each other this course provides SGA member companies’ managers and supervisors proven and practical techniques that they can begin applying immediately in their jobs to manage and achieve improved business results.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Competencies Addressed
- Managing and Controlling Business and Resources
- Strategic Planning
- Clarifying Roles and Objectives
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Monitoring Work
Class Outline
- Introductions / Course Overview and Workshop Objectives
- Acknowledging the challenges to getting work done today
- Five reasons why organizations don't perform
- A systematic approach to achieving results
- Step One – Developing an Actionable Plan
- The power of a one-page plan
- Linking 12 months to daily deliverables
- Alignment: The critical difference between on and in
- Step Two – Implementing the Plan
- The real definition of execution
- The leader's role
- Ensuring ownership
- Defining outcomes, expectations and accountabilities
- Allocating priorities and resources
- Overcoming barriers (internal & external)
- The critical role of the "right" communication
- Step Three – Checking Progress
- Feedback versus follow up
- Measuring progress (metrics that matter)
- The stealth tool of five effective meetings: five powerful outcomes
- Step Four – Assessing Results
- The time zones: daily operations, future planning and service recovery
- Improving the process
- Standardizing the process
- Case Study and Practical Tools for Managing for Results
- Transforming workshop learning into results
- Develop an action plan to take back to work and review with your leader about what you plan to do better/differently to achieve targeted results in your area of business responsibility.
Professional Development Hours: 7 hours
Hotel Information
Hyatt Regency - Downtown Houston
- Single & Double Occupancy: $165
- By telephone
- Call toll-free at 888.421.1442, ask for reservations and request the "Southern Gas Association Training Week" group code G-SOGA
- Online
- Cut-off date for group rate reservations is Monday, April 23, 2012
Questions?
Contact Member Services
Tuesday, May 15, 2012 Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Thursday, May 17, 2012 INGI INGI HNGBS HNGBS HNGBS BFA BFA BFA IRNGA IRNGA IRNGA Leadership1 Leadership1 Leadership1 Ratemaking Ratemaking Ratemakeing
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