Producers turn to hedging as shelter against oil market turmoil

摘要

Houston—US shale oil producers have moved in droves during the last couple of months to protect themselves from current market turmoil by hedging, using a variety of derivative instruments to protect against exposure to volatile oil prices. As crude prices plunged from low demand as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the globe, producers cut 2020 capital budgets in half and released huge numbers of drilling rigs. They also shut-in their lower-margin production.