North Dakota oil production rose to a record in November, even as energy companies drilled fewer wells and the rig count dropped to a near five-year low, state officials said. Energy companies in North Dakota’s prolific Bakken formation are dialing back how much they spend on exploring for new oil deposits because crude prices are languishing. But there is more oil flowing from fewer wells as companies tap only their most promising and profitable reserves. Oil output across the state hit a record 1.19 million barrels a day in November, the most recent month available, according to data released Wednesday by the state’s Department of Mineral Resources. North Dakota is the second-largest U.S. crude producer behind Texas, but the drop in oil prices over the last six months from more than $100 a barrel to less than $50 has spurred a rapid decline in the number of rigs drilling […]