Record trading volumes driven by Middle East conflict, 2025 supplydemand concerns
ICE, CME Group report record trading volumes in October
OPEC production decisions, weak demand outlook influence hedging activity

HOUSTON, Nov 5 Reuters Investors ramped up oil futures and options trading in October to record levels in a bid to hedge growing uncertainty as war rages on in the Middle East and a bearish 2025 supply and demand outlook looms, triggering big swings in crude prices.

Hedging can help producers reduce risk and protect their production from sharp moves in the market by locking in a price for the oil. It can also give traders opportunities to profit in times of volatility.

Some 68.44 million barrels of oil in futures and options were traded in October, according to data from the Intercontinental Exchange ICE, surpassing the monthly record hit in March 2020 when Brent futures plummeted roughly 30 per barrel as the COVID19 pandemic crushed global oil demand.

CME Group, meanwhile, reported a single day volume record for weekly crude oil options on Oct. 18, with 58,132 contracts traded.

Aegis Hedging, which has a client base with a production profile of about 2530 of total U.S. barrels of oil equivalent, saw the highest number of trades in October in the company39;s history, jumping by around 15 above the previous monthly record.

Bullish surprises like possible attacks on oil infrastructure are the sorts of events to spur activity among clients and cause jitters…