IFAD Murban crude futures see strong start but end-month volatility fuel concerns
Trading activity for Murban crude futures on the ICE Futures Abu Dhabi, or IFAD, exchange in April points to a strong start for the nascent contract, but traders say end-month volatility in the key front-month contract is a cause for concern.
More broadly, traders say the launch of IFAD Murban has made it easier to value and trade all Abu Dhabi grades against benchmark Platts Dubai, which is used directly or indirectly in the pricing of nearly all Middle East crudes as well as grades from Far East Russia.