Consultations on a preliminary deal between leading oil producers to freeze output should be concluded by March 1 after a group led by Russia and Saudi Arabia reached a common position this week in Doha, Russia’s energy minister said. NEW YORK Oil prices fell 4 percent on Friday, with Brent down a third straight week, as record high U.S. crude stockpiles intensified worries that a plan to freeze world output will do little or nothing to reduce massive oil supplies already in the market. DUBAI Iran and Oman are interested in pursuing closer ties and shared investments in the energy sector, Iran’s oil minister was quoted as saying on Sunday after talks in Tehran with Oman’s foreign minister. NEW YORK U.S. oil producers reeling from an 18-month price rout have cautiously begun hedging future production this week, fearing this may be their best chance yet to lock in […]