ICE Futures Announces Record Monthly And Daily Volume For UK Natural Gas Futures Contract

IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE), the leading electronic energy marketplace and soft commodity exchange, announced that its U.K. based regulated futures subsidiary, ICE Futures, established new monthly and daily volume records in the ICE UK Natural Gas futures contract.

Volume in ICE UK Natural Gas futures for the month of February 2007 reached a record 97,635 contracts, surpassing the previously monthly record in January 2003 of 95,945 contracts. Average daily volume in the contract for February set a new high of 4,883 contracts, or 12% higher than the previous January 2003 record of 4,361 contracts. Record daily screen volume was set on February 26 at 7,465 contracts, exceeding the previous record of 7,080 contracts established on February 12, 2003.

The strong UK Natural Gas futures volume in February included increased volume in both the quarterly and season-based natural gas contracts. In addition, the increased liquidity in the contract has recently attracted additional participants.