Texas, the top oil-producing U.S. state, issued roughly half as many drilling permits in November as in October, as oil and gas producers scaled back with the steep decline in crude prices since summer. The Texas Railroad Commission, the state’s industry regulator, said on Tuesday that new permits for oil wells fell 57 percent to 376, while those for new oil and gas wells retreated 46 percent to 977. Overall, the state issued 1,508 original drilling permits for all types of wells in November, compared with 3,046 in October. U.S. crude futures prices closed on Tuesday at $57.12, up more than $2 a barrel after data showing the fastest U.S. economic growth in 11 years boosted expectations that crude demand would rise. However, Tuesday’s settlement was down 47 percent from $107.95 in late June. Lower oil prices took time to translate into fewer permits. […]