CFTC Considers Blocking CME’s 24/7 Oil Contract Bid

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission is considering whether to block CME Group Inc.’s bid to launch a round-the-clock oil contract, heightening tensions between the market stalwart and its regulator.

CME Group Inc. announced on Thursday that it would debut24-hour, seven-days-a-week trading in some crude and gold futures contracts. The news caught the US derivatives regulator by surprise, a senior agency official said, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations.

Round-the-clock trading may not be suitable for crude oil because it could worsen already extreme volatility during periods of geopolitical stress, the official said, adding those ...