The volume of coal traded and cleared on the ICE Futures platform during July totaled 140.5 million mt, falling 8% from June's eight-month high, although 82% higher than the same month in 2013, energy exchange ICE Futures Europe and electronic trading platform globalCOAL said in their monthly report released late Wednesday.
Of the total, 60% consisted of ICE Rotterdam Coal Futures, of which the monthly volume was 84 million mt, slipping 27% from June's eight-month high, but climbing 52% on the year.
According to Platts data, Rotterdam prompt-month derivatives gained $2.70 during the month to close at $76.35/mt on July 31.
The volume of ICE Richards Bay Futures also dropped from the previous month's four-month high, losing 4% to 13.3 million mt, 9% of the total volume.
The monthly total was, however, more than double the 6.5 million mt of Richards Bay coal traded and cleared in July 2013.
Richards Bay August swaps contracts softened somewhat during July, losing $1.65 from July 1 to end the month at $72/mt, according to Platts data.
Meanwhile, the amount of globalCOAL ICE Newcastle Coal Futures climbed 80% on the month to a record 43.2 million mt of coal cleared during July, which made up 31% of the total volume and was 176% higher than the same month in 2013.
Newcastle prompt-month paper prices fell $1.90 during July to end the month at $69.10/mt.
The two firms noted in the report that 36% of the July volume was traded as options, which amounted to 50.5 million mt worth of coal, slipping 22% from June's record high.
