Brent oil prices rose on Thursday, briefly touching $70 a barrel for the first time since November as expectations of tight global supply outweighed pressure from rising U.S. production and less robust global demand indicators. International benchmark Brent futures settled up 9 cents at $69.40. Brent touched a session high of $70.03, the highest since Nov. 12 when it last traded above $70. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 36 cents a barrel to settle at $62.10. The contract hit $62.99 on Wednesday, its highest since November. Brent has gained 30 percent this year, while WTI has risen nearly 40 percent, underpinned by U.S. sanctions on Iranian and Venezuelan crude, OPEC production cuts and rising global demand. “There is a clear bias to […]