Record April For IPE

April 2001 volume was the highest April ever recorded on the IPE. Total traded volume hit 2,153,641 lots (equivalent to 1.6 billion barrels). This compared to the 1,752,853 lots (almost 1.3 billion barrels) traded in the same period of the previous year. The increase in volume shows a year on year growth rate for April of 22.86%.

This continued the strong growth trend of the IPE in recent years during which the performance of the IPE's key contracts Brent Crude futures and Gas Oil futures have consistently risen.

Richard Ward, Chief Executive, said, "the IPE continues to perform strongly in an increasingly competitive environment. Record volumes for April 2001 is a clear indication that our Members and customers continue to see the benefits of using the IPE contracts to manage their price risk exposure in volatile energy markets".