Volumes of ICE thermal coal futures and options traded and cleared in August fell 38% on the month to 87.6 million mt, according to energy exchange ICE Futures Europe and electronic trading platform globalCOAL in a monthly report released late Tuesday.
ICE Rotterdam futures accounted for 72% of August's total, with 62.6 million mt cleared, down 26% from July and 19% lower than the year-earlier period.
South African and Australian coal futures volumes also dipped during August. Richards Bay volumes were down 74% on July to 3.47 million mt with no options volumes cleared while Newcastle contracts traded and cleared fell 50% on the month to 21.49 million mt, just above their year-to-date monthly average.
However while mid-month open interest volumes have been declining in the Rotterdam and Richards Bay markets recently, Newcastle bucked the trend, with interest up 7% on the month to 27.88 million mt.
The year-to-date total cleared and traded coal futures and options volume stands at 902 million mt, 128 million mt higher than the corresponding 2013 period.
