Crude Oil Breaks All-Time Records

CME Group Announces
Open Interest Record in Benchmark Light Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) Futures

NYMEX Brent (BZ)
Reaches Multiple Trading Volume and Open Interest Records This Year

CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — CME Group, the world’s
leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, announced it reached a record
in open interest for its global benchmark NYMEX Light Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) futures contracts
yesterday, February 13, 2013. Open Interest for NYMEX WTI reached 1,665,014
contracts, compared to 1,664,400 on May 11, 2011, the last record for this
contract.

This comes shortly after NYMEX Brent (BZ) has hit multiple trading volume records
and open interest remains at record levels.

“It’s widely agreed that the most important story in the global crude
oil market right now is happening in North America, and record open interest in
our WTI contract reflects that,” said Gary Morsches, Managing Director,
Global Energy, CME Group. “CME Group is the only marketplace where all
three oil benchmarks trade: NYMEX WTI, the world’s most liquid crude oil
benchmark, NYMEX Brent, the European crude benchmark, and DME Oman, a benchmark
for the East-of-Suez market.”