Oil prices settled lower today as traders focused on rebounding crude outputs in parts of the US. In ND, the third largest oil producing state, production is coming back online according to the states pipeline authority. Production is still down approx. 300K bpd. “You’ve got the geopolitical pressures that aren’t enough to really rally the oil market, but they’re enough to keep the market from bottoming out of the range,” said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho Bank. WTI traded down $.39 or -.5% to close at $74.37. Brent traded down $.51 or -.6% to close at $79.55.