Brent, the global price benchmark based on oil blends taken from the North Sea, is trading near the $60 per barrel mark, far below the price for the June contract. Ewan Mitch, lead analyst at British firm Company Watch, said the bear market is putting a strain on the pocketbooks of many regional companies. “The recent large falls in the price of oil and gas could leave the weaker companies in difficulties, especially the ones that need to raise funds to keep exploring,” he said in the report. The price for Brent is approaching the point at which companies might not be able to generate a profit. British energy company BP said it could cope with an oil price as low as $60 per barrel, […]