CME Group Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures Set New Open Interest Record

The CME Group has reported that its Henry Hub natural gas futures have reached a new open interest record of 1,807,497 contracts on September 1, 2026. This surpasses the previous record of 1,801,183 contracts traded on November 8, 2024.

The trading in physically-delivered Henry Hub futures tends to rise ahead of winter months, typically peaking around November of each year. However, in 2026, open interest rose faster than usual and reached a record level as clients positioned for geopolitical shifts and winter volatility.

Clients are turning to CME Group's energy futures and leading options markets to manage their risk due to Super El Niño's impact on weather-driven demand, record LNG output reordering global gas flows, and the Middle East creating ongoing supply uncertainty, according to Peter Keavey, Global Head of Energy and Environmental Products at CME Group.