The amount of oil discovered last year was the lowest since the 1950s as explorers slashed spending amid the worst downturn in a generation, according to Wood Mackenzie. The good news: It can probably only get better from here. Oil companies found only 3.7 billion barrels of so-called conventional crude in 2016, 14 percent less than the previous year and the lowest amount since 1952, according to updated figures from the Edinburgh-based consultant. The results for both 2016 and 2015 are better than forecast a few months ago, but still put discovered oil volumes at little more than a tenth of the yearly average since 1950. Spending on exploration has been gutted since oil prices started falling in 2014 and may drop further this year, said Andrew Latham, Wood Mackenzie’s vice president for global exploration. However, by making operations more efficient, focusing on easier targets and paying lower fees […]