Russia will keep its crude oil output steady next year and plunging prices will stabilize, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, reiterating comments made almost three weeks ago that nation won’t alter supplies to halt the rout. The world’s largest crude producer’s output will be similar to this year’s 10.6 million barrels a day, Novak said at a conference today in Doha, the Qatari capital. Brent, the international benchmark grade, has fallen 47 percent since the end of 2013, contributing to a currency crisis in Russia, which relies on energy for half its budget. By keeping oil output unchanged, Russia is mirroring a strategy by OPEC, which said Nov. 27 it won’t curb production to tackle a global surplus. The government plans to hold a meeting today to discuss its deteriorating financial situation. Sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European Union over the conflict in Ukraine stoked the worst capital […]