NYMEX Sets Volume Record For NYMEX miNY^TM Natural Gas Contract

The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., announced that a record 15,741 NYMEX miNY^TM natural gas futures contracts traded yesterday, surpassing the previous record of 7,274 contracts, set on December 6, 2005.

The size of the NYMEX miNY^TM natural gas futures contract was reduced to 2,500 million British thermal units (mmBtu) from 5,000 mmBtus beginning with the February 2006 contract in December 2005. This new record exceeds the previous record, taking into consideration the current size of the contract.

NYMEX President James E. Newsome said, "We are pleased that the marketplace has embraced the recently reduced NYMEX miNY^TM natural gas futures contract. NYMEX strives to provide the energy industry with products that meet their changing needs."