VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The lower oil prices are forcing rig operators to reduce their activity in North Dakota. The number oil rigs operational fell to 49 indicating the lowest since August 2009. The number of oil rigs is expected to further drop to 30 this year. There're concerns over possible bankruptcies following the decline in oil drilling North Dakota.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has lowered outlook for the US crude production in 2016. EIA has reduced the forecast for 2016 by one percent in the US oil production.

The oil drilling activity in Canada is taking a hit as crude oil price is still hovering at $50 a barrel. The current situation is forcing Canadian oil companies to lower drilling activity in 2016.

Oil prices rose following the indications that stockpiles are declining and drop in drilling activity. The global oil benchmark Brent was up three percent as expectations that less drilling may reduce future oil production and inventories as well. Gasoline futures also surged on renewed demand. US crude's front-month rose 4.5 percent or $2 to end at $46.68 a barrel. Brent rose 3.1 percent and closed at $48.92/barrel. It's learnt that US drillers have called off drilling activity for the past three weeks. It's estimated that the US crude production may drop by 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) the second and fourth quarters this year.

Oil prices dropped further on Friday trading following the alert from the US Central Bank that global economy is weakening. Adding to this, indications that Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) would keep up oil production, in order to maintain its market share, also further dampened the market confidence. Equities on the US and European stock markets opened lower. The fundamentals seem to have turned bearish, fell the analysts. Oil price is expected to be $80 per barrel by 2020.

The oil price surged to one-month high at $47.31 a barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYME). Oil futures reached $48.09 indicating its highest since 31 July. The rebound in oil prices was mainly due to two factors.

Crude prices ended mixed on Friday as the number of U.S. rigs drilling for oil fell far less than expected this week, while heating oil jumped 6 percent after severe winter cold crimped output at three refineries.

Brent crude oil fell below $60 a barrel on Friday as oversupply, supported by record-high U.S. crude stocks, weighed on the market.

Oil prices declined on Monday, with U.S. crude falling close to a nearly six-year low, as Saudi Arabia's new King Salman moved to assuage fears of an unstable transition and any policy change in the world's largest oil exporter.

Dawn Capital led the Series C funding round for software firm eCommera which raised $41 million. Other investors in the round were ePlanet Capital, Westcoast Capital, WPP and WTI, TechCrunch reported.