IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a leading operator of global regulated futures exchanges, clearing houses and over-the-counter (OTC) markets, announced new open interest records for ICE Futures Europe. The ICE Brent Crude futures contract established a new open interest record of 817,977 contracts on January 12, settling above 800,000 contracts for the first time. The exchange also established open interest records in the ICE Rotterdam and the globalCOAL ICE Newcastle Coal futures contracts of 55,689 and 16,585 contracts, respectively, on January 12. Total open interest across ICE coal futures is now over 100,000 contracts.
ICE's North Sea Brent Crude futures contract cash settles based on the ICE Futures Brent Index at expiry. The Brent Index represents the average price of trading in the 21-day BFOE market in the relevant delivery month. A leading global light sweet crude contract, ICE Brent trades alongside the ICE WTI crude futures contract on the ICE platform. Today, ICE Futures Europe conducts half the world's futures trade in crude and refined oil products.
