* Prices rise to 2,580 ringgit, level unseen since Sept. 28 * Malaysia palm oil exports for Oct. 1-20 up 14.1 pct -ITS * Exports up 16.7 pct for same period -SGS (Updates throughout) By Chew Yee Kiat SINGAPORE, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose to their highest in more than three weeks on Monday, boosted by rising exports which investors said may help ease record stocks in the world's No.2 palm oil producer. Latest data from cargo surveyor Societe Generale de Surveillance showed Malaysia's palm exports rose 16.7 percent for the first twenty days of October from a month ago, lending support to futures that have lost almost one-fifth so far this year. Another cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services reported on Saturday a 14.1 percent increase in exports to 1.06 million tonnes for the same period, signalling buoyant demand for the tropical oil. "The export numbers improved market sentiment. It's good to see positive signs after seeing so many negative signs lately," said a Singapore-based trader with a global commodities house. "Prices are very likely to go to the 2,700-2,800 ringgit range but there may be dips in between." At the close, the benchmark January contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose 3 percent to 2,577 ringgit ($845) per tonne, just off an intraday high at 2,580 ringgit, a level unseen since Sept. 28. Total traded volumes stood at 37,259 lots of 25 tonnes each, much higher than the usual 25,000 lots. Palm oil prices fell to a near 3-year low earlier this month on fears over rising stocks and concerns that a sluggish global economic growth could hurt commodity demand. But traders said low prices could lure buyers back to the market and also make the tropical oil an attractive choice to be used as biodiesel. In related markets, Brent crude oil steadied above $110 per barrel on Monday as fighting in Beirut and Gaza raised fears for the security of fuel supplies from the Middle East, helping stem a four-day decline in prices. In other vegetable oil markets, U.S. soyoil for December delivery increase 1.1 percent in late Asian trade, drawing support from the Chicago soybeans market, which bounced back from a three-and-half month low last week. The most-active May 2013 soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange also closed 0.4 percent higher. Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1013 GMT Contract Month Last Change Low High Volume MY PALM OIL NOV2 2469 +65.00 2395 2469 598 MY PALM OIL DEC2 2528 +53.00 2460 2544 6940 MY PALM OIL JAN3 2577 +76.00 2497 2580 22840 CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY3 7254 +6.00 7160 7258 211276 CHINA SOYOIL MAY3 9318 +40.00 9182 9318 442986 CBOT SOY OIL DEC2 52.17 +0.59 51.24 52.23 7376 NYMEX CRUDE NOV2 90.68 +0.63 89.49 90.71 1351 Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel

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