Oil prices held steady on Thursday, supported by ongoing supply cuts led by producer group OPEC, although rising fuel inventories and crude production in the United States weighed on sentiment. Brent crude futures were trading at $55.73 per barrel at 0209 GMT (9:09 p.m. ET on Wednesday), down just 2 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures, were down 4 cents at $53.07 per barrel. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers including Russia have agreed to cut output by almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) during the first half of 2017, and estimates suggest compliance by OPEC is around 90 percent. The production cuts are aimed at reining in a global fuel supply overhang that has dogged markets for over two […]