Market anticipation over a possible slowdown in U.S. crude oil production and declining inventories overshadowed OPEC moves to lift oil prices early Tuesday. A report emailed from S&P Global Platts said the price spread between short-term and long-term oil contracts is shrinking, which removes the financial incentive for traders to keep oil barrels locked in storage. A Platts survey of analysts found crude oil stockpiles in the United States, the world’s largest economy and No. 1 oil consumer, declined by 3 million barrels last week. Gasoline stockpiles lost 700,000 barrels last week, though that’s lower than the drop reported during the previous week. “After eight straight weekly declines, oil inventories at Cushing, Okla., the delivery point for […]