China’s crude oil output fell almost 10 percent in August from a year ago to the lowest in more than six years, data from the statistics bureau showed, as low prices continue to plague major producers. China pumped 16.45 million tonnes (3.87 million barrels per day) of crude in August, the least since December 2009 on a daily basis and the second month of sharp decline. China’s shrinking crude output reflects the concerns of the nation’s top energy groups, who are struggling to keep their wells open with benchmark Brent prices still down nearly 60 percent from a mid-2014 peak above $115 a barrel. Sinopec, one of China’s largest energy conglomerates, forecast its crude output will drop 16 percent to 147 million barrels in the second half of this year from 175 million […]