North Dakota’s two U.S. senators are hopeful about the outlook for the oil industry that’s plagued by low crude prices, after a phone call earlier this week between the presidents of the United States and Russia.
Few details have emerged about the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which came after several weeks of oil prices in the $20-per-barrel range, too low for shale producers to make a profit. But the Trump administration says the leaders agreed that stability is important in the world’s energy markets, and their energy officials plan to keep in touch.