The New York Mercantile Exchange decided not to have an abbreviated Access trading session yesterday, but will attempt to schedule a session on Friday for all contracts currently listed on Nymex Access. The exchange previously had said it would work toward having a two-hour session Thursday afternoon.

The contracts on Access include natural gas, power, light sweet crude oil, Brent crude oil, heating oil, gasoline, propane, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, platinum and palladium futures.

As it previously stated, all trades from the Monday, Sept. 10 Access session and the abbreviated open outcry metals trading sessions on Tuesday morning have been marked to the settlement prices from Monday’s close. Since there are no settlement prices for the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions, these trades will be marked “as of” for the exchange’s next trading session.

Traders are encouraged to check the Hot News section of www.nymex.com or call (212) 301-4871, extension 900 or 1-866-24-NYMEX, for the latest information on scheduling.

Exchange Chairman Vincent Viola and President J. Robert Collins Jr. said they are committed to reinstating open outcry trading as soon as is safely possible. “We are, however, equally determined to offer this temporary solution, given the critical importance to the global economy of the strategic instruments we offer,” they said in a statement regarding an abbreviated Access session.

Nymex said that if trading cards were left at the exchange traders should call (212) 301-4871, extension 900 as soon as possible so that they can be retrieved by operational personnel. Anyone in possession of their cards will be provided with a fax number to provide the documentation to the exchange.

“The exchange is shocked by the depth of this tragedy and extends its deepest condolences to all those who suffered a loss, including a number of our close colleagues,” it said in a statement.

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