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To:tana.jones@enron.com
Subject:(00-408) Options Expiration Operational Procedures for Silver and
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Date:Mon, 4 Dec 2000 02:39:00 -0800 (PST)

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Notice No. 00-408
December 4, 2000

TO:
All COMEX Members/Member Firms
All COMEX Clearing Members
All COMEX Floor Traders
All COMEX Operations Managers

FROM:
Michael Campanelli, Vice President, Floor Operations, COMEX Division

RE:
Options Expiration Operational Procedures for the Trading Floor and Clearin=
g
Members
_____________________________________________________

The expiration date for the January 2001 options contract for Silver (SO F0=
1)=20
and Gold (OG Z01) is Friday, December 8, 2000.

GENERAL OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

All Clearing Members and Qualified Floor Traders that carried an options=20
position as of the close of business day prior to the expiration day, or=20
engaged in trading activity on Expiration Day in the expiring options=20
contract will be required to have a knowledgeable, duly authorized on-line=
=20
trade entry ("OLTE") system trained representative available until released=
=20
by the Exchange staff. All adjustments and/or corrections, must be=20
accompanied by relevant supporting documentation prior to being incorporate=
d=20
into expiration processing. In essence, making the expiration processing a=
n=20
extension of the afternoon trade resolution procedures.

Exchange Clearing (299-2110) and Trade Processing (299-2465 and 299-2044)=
=20
personnel will be available to assist with the processing of notices of=20
Exercise and Abandonment, position transfers, trade corrections and other=
=20
questions or problems you may have.

Failure by any Clearing Member or qualified Floor Trader to comply with=20
procedures as outlined herein may result in severe disciplinary action by t=
he=20
Exchange and potential financial liability to customers or members for=20
failure to exercise diligence in the processing of information.

TRADING FLOOR OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

Trading in the January 2001 Silver and Gold Options Contracts will cease at=
=20
2:25 P.M. and 2:30 P.M. respectively on December 8, 2000. All Brokers and=
=20
Traders must inform their Clearing Members of their intentions to exercise =
or=20
abandon such Options by 4:00 P.M.

On Friday, December 8, 2000, all Brokers and Clearing Members must have a=
=20
duly authorized, On-Line Trade Entry ("OLTE") system trained representative=
=20
available until such time as the Exchange deems necessary.

NOTE: After 4:30 P.M. all expiring option trade data must be inputted on=20
special "OLTE" terminals located in the Trade Processing Room. Any other=20
means of submission will be rejected by the Exchange. Members will be able=
=20
to submit all other trade data until 5:00 P.M.

After the UTR and the Preliminary Spot Month Matched Trade Reports are=20
displayed, Clearing Member representatives will be able to pick up their=20
Preliminary Clearing reports at the Clearing Department.

A final review of all submissions will be made, the Supervisor of the Trade=
=20
Processing Room will detain only those Clearing Members and/or Broker=20
representatives involved. All final corrections will be made at this time=
=20
and upon determination of the Supervisor that all option processing is=20
complete, all representatives will be released.

Exchange Reports based on Friday=01,s submissions and processing will be=20
available on Monday morning December 11, 2000.

In the event that you have any questions regarding the foregoing trading=20
floor procedures please contact Michael Campanelli at (212) 299-2072 or Dav=
id=20
Sherman at (212) 299-2061.

CLEARING DEPARTMENT OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES

1. OPEN POSITION CONFIRMATION ("OPC") - The OPC should reflect as accuratel=
y=20
as possible all futures and options gross positions as of close-of business=
=20
on the business day prior to expiration. Review the estimated current gros=
s=20
positions as shown and make appropriate adjustments. The OPC must be=20
submitted not later than 9:00 AM.

2. OPTIONS EXERCISE/ABANDONMENT REQUEST FORM ("E/A") - An expiring option=
=20
with a strike price in-the-money by one tick or more will be subject to=20
automatic exercise unless an Option Abandonment Request form is submitted=
=20
advising that a Clearing Member ("CM") elects to abandon some or all of its=
=20
position in that strike price (i.e., for the option series). All other=20
options series in the expiring month will be subject to automatic abandonme=
nt=20
unless an Option Exercise Request form is submitted. When submitting an E/=
A=20
form, please note the following:

(a) An E/A form must be submitted not later than 5:00 PM.
(b) Do not submit an Exercise form for positions in strike prices, which ar=
e=20
subject to automatic
Exercise nor submit an Abandonment form for positions in strike prices, whi=
ch=20
are subject to automatic abandonment.
© If a CM wishes to submit an E/A form to abandon a position in a strike=
=20
price subject to automatic exercise or wishes to exercise a position in a=
=20
strike price which is out of the money, it is necessary to notify Clearing =
by=20
telephone of such anticipated action. The CM must have an officer availabl=
e=20
to confirm such intention.
(d) CMs may secure from Clearing a time-stamped receipt of the CM copy to=
=20
assure submission of the CM=01,s E/A forms.

3. OPTION POSITION REDUCTION REQUEST FORM ("OPRR") - As a general rule,=20
purchases and sales of option contracts are presumed to be new business. =
If=20
some or all of your purchases and sales are in fact undertaken for position=
=20
liquidation purposes, OPRR forms may be submitted on the day of expiration=
=20
and will be used in conjunction with trade data to reduce your projected=20
position in an expiring contract. OPRR requests in excess of actual traded=
=20
volume will be rejected. Exception: Cabinet trades and cancel correction=
=20
trades will automatically liquidate existing positions, therefore do not=20
submit an OPRR form for cabinet or cancel correction trades.
The OPRR form must be submitted not later than 5:00 PM.

4. HOUSE/CUSTOMER POSITION TRANSFER REQUEST FORM ("H/C") - H/C forms may be=
=20
used only to transfer previously cleared contracts between a CM=01,s house =
and=20
customer accounts. Problem trades (those which have not cleared prior to=20
expiration day), must be corrected using COMEX=01,s on-line trade entry sys=
tem=20
under the direct supervision of the Trade Audits Department of COMEX ("Trad=
e=20
Audits"). The H/C form must be submitted not later than 3:30 PM.

5. EX-PIT POSITION TRANSFER REQUEST FORM ("Ex-Pit") - Ex Pit forms may be=
=20
used only to transfer previously cleared contracts between CMs. Problem=20
trades (those which have not cleared prior to expiration day), must be=20
corrected on the on-line trade entry system under the direct supervision of=
=20
Trade Audits. The Ex-Pit form must be submitted not later than 3:30 PM.

*****
A) At approximately 4:15 PM, two PRELIMINARY reports of the expiration=20
process will be available for distribution at the Nymex Clearing Department=
:

1. OPTION EXPIRATION REPORT AND CONFIRMATION - The purpose of this report i=
s=20
to project the CM=01,s present position going into the expiration based upo=
n the=20
transactions which have already been submitted to Clearing. CMs should=20
review and modify their adjusted gross positions as of close-of-business on=
=20
the business day prior to expiration. Further adjustments may be submitted=
=20
not later than 5:00 PM. The projected ending gross positions will reflect=
=20
transactions accepted or rejected for clearance on expiration night,=20
inclusive of Ex-Pit, H/C and OPRR transactions which have been submitted to=
=20
Clearing prior to 3:30 PM, and trade information submitted to COMEX prior t=
o=20
3:45 PM. Normally, this report will also reflect manually submitted Exerci=
se=20
and Abandonment instructions, the projected number of exercises and maximum=
=20
potential assignments for each strike price, the type of exercise (manual o=
r=20
automatic), whether the strike is In, At or Out of the money, and the=20
exercise val!
ue!
associated therewith based on settlement prices established by COMEX on th=
e=20
day of expiration.

2. TRANSACTION LISTING - This listing will include in detail all expiring=
=20
option trades submitted to COMEX prior to 3:45 PM on expiration day, and al=
l=20
H/C, ExPit, OPRR and E/A transactions submitted to Clearing Prior to 3:30 P=
M.

Please note: Trade information reflected on the option expiration report an=
d=20
transaction listing are trades submitted only. To inquire whether trades ha=
ve=20
matched, each CM must review the trade reports provided by COMEX=01,s On-Li=
ne=20
Trade Entry ("OLTE") system.

B) At approximately 5:30 PM, FINAL reports of the expiration process,=20
including all submissions to Clearing and trade information submitted to=20
COMEX made by 5:00 PM, will be available for distribution at the Nymex=20
Clearing Department.

C) At 5:45 PM, Preliminary In The Money Abandonment and Out Of The Money=20
Exercise information will be announced on Fast Facts.

D) At Approximately 7:30 PM, a Final Notice of Exercise/Assignments will be=
=20
available in each CM=01,s lockbox located at the Nymex Clearing Department.=
=20
Each CM, which has exercised or been assigned one or more options will=20
receive a separate statement showing exercises and/or assignments for each=
=20
option series. Please check this statement carefully. Although long optio=
ns=20
positions in-the-money by one tick or more will be automatically exercised,=
=20
not all short option positions will be assigned if there are any options=20
manually abandoned at such strike prices. Please note that there also may =
be=20
some at or out-of-the money options being exercised.

E) At approximately 9:00 PM, the final set of clearing sheets will be=20
available in each CM=01,s lockbox located at the Nymex Clearing Department.

It is strongly recommended that each CM have a representative(s) that is=20
properly trained to handle the option expiration process available beginnin=
g=20
at 4:15 PM and who will receive the CM=3Ds reports at the specific times. =
It=20
is solely the responsibility of the CM to review these reports and to notif=
y=20
the Clearing staff immediately of any discrepancies.

To obtain the exact time of the availability for each report, clearing=20
members should call (212) 513-7405, access code 702. The announcement time=
=20
will occur _ hour prior to availability.

Attached please find a Clearing Member Procedure Summary for ease of=20
reference. Please contact John Ramos at (212) 299-2142 (Members 001-500) o=
r=20
Mel Garcia at (212) 299-2144 (members 501-999) if you have any questions.

OPTION EXPIRATION PROCESSING CLEARING MEMBER PROCEDURE SUMMARY

Time: 3:30 PM
Activity: Expits, H/C transfers, Option Position Reduction and=20
Exercise/Abandon notices
Event: Submission to Clearing cutoff time.
Notes: Final cutoff for Expits and H/C tranfers

Time: 3:45 PM
Activity: Call Fast Facts to obtain availability time of Preliminary Option=
=20
Expiration Reports.
Event: Fast Facts notice of Availability

Time: 4:15 PM
Activity: Preliminary option expiration reports available to clearing membe=
rs=20
at NYMEX Clearing Department

Time: 5:00 PM
Activity: Options Position Reduction, Exercise/Abandon notices and Gross=20
Position Adjustments
Event: Submission to Clearing Cutoff Time
Notes: Final cutoff for Option Position Reduction, Exercise/Abandon notices=
=20
and Gross Position Adjustments

Time: 5:05 PM
Activity: Call Fast Facts to obtain availability time of Final Preliminary=
=20
Option expiration Reports
Event: Fast Facts notice of Availability

Time: 5:30 PM
Activity: Final Preliminary option expiration reports available to clearing=
=20
members at NYMEX Clearing Department.

Time: 5:45 PM
Activity: Call Fast Facts to obtain Preliminary In the Money Abandonment an=
d=20
Out of the Money Exercise Information
Event Fast Facts notice of information
Notes: New Event

Time: 6:00 PM
Activity: Corrections to previously Submitted Adjustments or Notices
Event: Correction period cutoff time (30 minutes after final preliminary=20
report is distributed)
Notes: Final cutoff for corrections

Time: 7:00 PM
Activity: Call Fast Facts to obtain availability of final expiring option=
=20
position and Exercise/Assignment report
Event: Fast Facts notice of Availability

Time: 7:30 PM
Activity: Final expirating options position and Exercise/Assignment report=
=20
available in clearing member's lockbox at NYMEX Clearing Department

Time: 8:30 PM
Activity: Call Fast Facts to obtain availability of final clearing reports.
Event: Fast Facts notice of Availability

Time: 9:00 PM
Activity: Final clearing reports available in clearing member's lockbox at=
=20
NYMEX Clearing Department.

Please contact John Ramos at (212) 299-2142 (Members 001-500) or Mel Garcia=
=20
at (212) 299-2144 (members 501-999) if you have any questions.


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