IntercontinentalExchange, a leading operator of global regulated futures exchanges, clearing houses and over-the-counter (OTC) markets, announced that ICE Futures Europe established a daily volume record of 2,093,304 contracts on 23 June. The volume record surpassed by 23% the exchange’s previous daily volume record of 1,703,446 contracts set on 6 May 2011.
Volume in the benchmark Brent Crude futures contract crossed one million contracts for the first time, with 1,221,190 lots traded, exceeding the 6 May record of 906,958 contracts and representing the sixth daily volume record for Brent Crude futures in 2011. A record 10,391 Heating Oil futures contracts also traded on 23 June. In March, ICE Futures Europe introduced the ICE Heating Oil vs ICE Brent Futures Crack Spread.
ICE Futures Europe also established record daily volume records for its ICE ECX EUA and CER emissions futures contracts, with 77,960 and 11,056 lots, respectively. The previous ICE ECX EUA record of 52,645 contracts was set on 16 March 2011, and the previous ICE ECX CER volume of 10,623 lots was set on 17 June 2010. The ICE ECX EUA futures contract is the benchmark for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Introduced in 1988, the ICE Brent Crude futures contract is the leading benchmark for light sweet crude oil, including grades in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. ICE Futures Europe also lists the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures contract. Both light sweet crude contracts have established daily volume records in 2011.
