In 2000, ICE began by establishing a globally relevant market for energy. Energy powers economies and the price of energy commodities are some of the most watched economic indicators. Our suite of over 1000 energy futures and options contracts has created a network of commodity market participants that rely on our markets daily.
Today, over half of the world's oil futures are traded on our markets. The overall Brent complex acts as a reference price for approximately two thirds of the world’s oil and the ICE Brent futures contract serves as the world’s benchmark for light, sweet crude. ICE’s natural gas and power markets meet the hedging needs of North American and European energy market participants and are offered alongside our crude and refined oil, coal, natural gas liquids and other emerging energy markets.
Crude Oil and Refined
Crude oil is one of the world's most widely-used and actively traded commodities worldwide. A key geo-political benchmark, the price of oil is among the most quoted statistics in business headlines today. ICE offers not only the most liquid crude and refined oil futures markets, but also the most globally relevant price markers for these vital markets. That's why traders, risk managers and especially hedgers such as oil producers and refiners, around the world rely on the ICE Brent, ICE WTI, ICE ASCI and ICE Gasoil.
Natural Gas
As one of the cleanest, safest and most abundant energy supplies available, natural gas is a primary component of the world’s energy supply, and recent advancements in drilling technologies ensures it will remain an integral part of meeting future energy needs. In North America, ICE provides deep liquidity and trading across multiple natural gas hubs, including the benchmark Henry Hub futures contract.
In Europe, through our investment in the UK and Dutch markets, ICE has become the recognized and most liquid on-exchange marketplace for trading and hedging natural gas through its physically delivered UK Natural Balancing Point (NBP) and Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) futures contracts.
Natural Gas Liquids
Natural gas, the source of natural gas liquids (NGLs), is a natural mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons found in the ground or obtained from specially driven wells. The composition of natural gas varies in different parts of the world. NGLs, which include ethane, propane, butanes, and natural gasoline, are used as feedstocks and as fuel for refineries and petrochemical plants.
Electricity
More electric power is traded on ICE than any other electronic marketplace in the world and ICE Futures U.S. provides hundreds of U.S. electric power futures contracts. ICE Futures Europe offers UK Base and Peak Electricity futures contracts, physically delivered contracts which bring all the benefits of exchange transparency and clearing, while ICE Endex offers continental European power contracts. The combination of ICE's electricity and natural gas futures markets on one platform provides an important advantage in speed and price dissemination for customers.
Coal
Coal is a fundamental part of the energy complex and it is a vital fuel for the power generation industry. Over recent years, the advent of clean coal technology has transformed coal into an alternative to other fossil fuel sources. Today, coal remains a viable and low-cost fuel for new generation capacity.
Featured Coal Products | |
gC Newcastle Coal Futures | Richards Bay Coal Futures |
Rotterdam Coal Futures | Rotterdam Coal Cal 1x Options |
CFR South China Coal Futures | CSX Coal Futures |
Freight
Wet freight is one of the large commodity markets closely linked to the crude and refined oil markets and operates both East and West of the Suez canal. Freight has become a relatively active derivatives market in its own right and trading takes place in World scale points or USD per Metric Tonne across a number of point to point routes. Price volatility in the global energy markets has seen an increase in participation by traders, commercial entities and banks in the wet freight derivatives market which provides opportunities for clients to hedge cargo movements.
ICE also provides access to the dry freight derivatives market which helps participants hedge price risk for the cost of moving goods such as coal, iron ore and steel across the world. Trading for dry freight derivatives takes place in USD per day on a time charter basis.