James Proudlock, managing director and head of market development for the exchange and its clearing business, said the exchange would take part in the process after a request for proposals (RFP) was recently issued to find a replacement for CME Group (>> CME Group Inc) and Thomson Reuters (>> Thomson Reuters Corp).

Those companies said in March they would step down from providing the silver price benchmark auction less than three years after successfully bidding to provide the process.

"There is a silver RFP for the silver benchmark. As a metal exchange, we will participate in the RFP," said Proudlock.

Proudlock's comments come as the world's oldest and biggest metal market prepares to launch a new precious metals contracts in July 10.

(Reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)