Notice to Members
Notice No. 347
06/27/2006
Margin Rate and Tier Change for Seven Natural Gas Futures Contracts
EFFECTIVE DATE: Thursday, June 29, 2006 (close of business)

FUTURES CONTRACTS:
Natural Gas Futures, Henry Hub Swap Futures, Natural Gas (Penultimate) Financial Futures, Natural Gas (Last Day) Financial Futures, NYMEX miNY™ Natural Gas Futures, Henry Hub Swing Swap Futures, and Henry Hub Penultimate Swap Futures Contracts
CONTRACT MONTHS: All Months

NG/NN/HP/HH/NP Intra–Commodity Spread and Scan Tiers
 
Tiers
New
Old
1
1st Nearby
1st Nearby
2
2nd Nearby
2nd Nearby
3
3rd – 4th Nearby
3rd – 5th Nearby
4
5th – 8th Nearby
6th – 9th  Nearby
5
9th – 10th  Nearby
10th  Nearby
6
11th – 21st  Nearby
11th – 23rd Nearby
7
22nd – 44th Nearby
24th – 48th Nearby
8
45th –  57th  Nearby
49th –  60th  Nearby
9
Greater than  58th Nearby
Greater than  60th Nearby


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margins on Natural Gas Futures (NG)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
2
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
3
$8,000
$7,500
$8,800
$8,250
$10,800
$10,125
4
$9,500
$9,000
$10,450
$9,900
$12,825
$12,150
5
$6,000
$6,000
$6,600
$6,600
$8,100
$8,100
6
$4,000
$3,500
$4,400
$3,850
$5,400
$4,725
7
$3,500
$3,000
$3,850
$3,300
$4,725
$4,050
8
$3,000
$2,500
$3,300
$2,750
$4,050
$3,375
9
$2,500
$2,000
$2,750
$2,200
$3,375
$2,700


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margins on Henry Hub Swap Futures (NN)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
2
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
3
$2,000
$1,875
$2,200
$2,063
$2,700
$2,531
4
$2,375
$2,250
$2,613
$2,475
$3,206
$3,038
5
$1,500
$1,500
$1,650
$1,650
$2,025
$2,025
6
$1,000
$875
$1,100
$963
$1,350
$1,181
7
$875
$750
$963
$825
$1,181
$1,013
8
$750
$625
$825
$688
$1,013
$844
9
$625
$500
$688
$550
$844
$675


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margins for Natural Gas (Penultimate) Financial (HP)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
2
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
3
$8,000
$7,500
$8,800
$8,250
$10,800
$10,125
4
$9,500
$9,000
$10,450
$9,900
$12,825
$12,150
5
$6,000
$6,000
$6,600
$6,600
$8,100
$8,100
6
$4,000
$3,500
$4,400
$3,850
$5,400
$4,725
7
$3,500
$3,000
$3,850
$3,300
$4,725
$4,050
8
$3,000
$2,500
$3,300
$2,750
$4,050
$3,375
9
$2,500
$2,000
$2,750
$2,200
$3,375
$2,700


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margins for Natural Gas (Last Day) Financial (HH)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
2
$6,500
$6,500
$7,150
$7,150
$8,775
$8,775
3
$8,000
$7,500
$8,800
$8,250
$10,800
$10,125
4
$9,500
$9,000
$10,450
$9,900
$12,825
$12,150
5
$6,000
$6,000
$6,600
$6,600
$8,100
$8,100
6
$4,000
$3,500
$4,400
$3,850
$5,400
$4,725
7
$3,500
$3,000
$3,850
$3,300
$4,725
$4,050
8
$3,000
$2,500
$3,300
$2,750
$4,050
$3,375
9
$2,500
$2,000
$2,750
$2,200
$3,375
$2,700


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margin on NYMEX miNY™ Natural Gas Futures (QG)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
2
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
3
$2,000
$1,875
$2,200
$2,063
$2,700
$2,500


NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margin for Henry Hub Swing Swap Futures (SN)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194

NYMEX Division Outright (Scan) Margin on Henry Hub Penultimate Swap Futures (NP)
 
Tiers
Clearing Member / Maintenance Margin
Member Customer Initial Margin
Non-Member Customer Initial Margin
1
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
2
$1,625
$1,625
$1,788
$1,788
$2,194
$2,194
3
$2,000
$1,875
$2,200
$2,063
$2,700
$2,531
4
$2,375
$2,250
$2,613
$2,475
$3,206
$3,038
5
$1,500
$1,500
$1,650
$1,650
$2,025
$2,025
6
$1,000
$875
$1,100
$963
$1,350
$1,181
7
$875
$750
$963
$825
$1,181
$1,013
8
$750
$625
$825
$688
$1,013
$844
9
$625
$500
$688
$550
$844
$675


Current systems calculate the margin requirement for spread positions by first determining the "Scan Risk" and then multiplying the number of spreads by a rate set by the Exchange. Scan Risk is determined by netting the outright margin required for each leg of a spread. Spreading between differently margined contracts results in a higher spread margin than between equally margined contracts. Below is provided an example where the legs of a spread are margined differently.

Scan Risk Example at Clearing Member Rates
A spread consisting of one NG leg in Tier 1 and another in Tier 5 will have its requirement (at the clearing member rates) calculated at $ 1,500 starting on Thursday, June 29, 2006.

One Long Tier 1 NG (1 * $6,500) = $6,500
One Short Tier 5 NG (1 * $ 6,000) = $6,000
Net Scan Risk ($6,500 - $6,000) = $500
Spread Rate (1* $ 1,000) = + $1,000
Total Requirement   = $1,500
       
Summary      
Clearing Member (Maintenance Margin):     $1,500
Member Customer (Initial Margin):     $1,650
Non-Member Customer (Initial Margin):     $2,025


This notice supersedes all previous notices regarding margin rates and for Natural Gas Futures, Henry Hub Swap Futures, Natural Gas (Penultimate) Financial Futures, Natural Gas (Last Day) Financial Futures, NYMEX miNY™ Natural Gas Futures, Henry Hub Swing Swap Futures, and Henry Hub Penultimate Swap Futures Contracts.
Should you have any questions or require any further information, please contact exchangeinfo@nymex.com