Each would offer a different service to the producer in moving its gas to the marketplace. Brokers and agents have different relationships with the producer by how the title to the gas is handled. Sometimes the two overlap and it s questionable which function the outsider really plays. Agents usually don t take title and only help the producer, while brokers might take title for resale. Some agents and brokers act as aggregators of gas to have larger quantities to offer, giving some advantages in the types of deals that can be made.
Marketers definitely take title and are resellers.
Selling to marketers by the producer opens up new avenues when financial trading activities are included. The inclusion of financial trading aspects allows the marketer to give the producer a fixed price for periods of a couple months to many years. In all of these relationships between producer and marketer, the variations are many and become even greater when the aspects of online trading are included. With so many marketing companies to choose from, including one that might be owned by the producer itself, the courses of action to sell gas are numerous and beyond easy description. At this stage of the open access game, the variations of selling natural gas is mind-numbing with each alternative offering plus and minus values.