Oil futures were little changed near $40 a barrel Thursday, as investors weighed persistent worries about the global economy against the likelihood of the OPEC oil cartel cutting its production further. Crude oil for March delivery fell 15 cents to $40.18 a barrel in electronic trading on Globex. On Wednesday, oil prices ended lower after government reports showed crude inventories in the U.S. rose much more than expected, hitting the highest level in 18 months, and as data indicated another hefty month of U.S. job losses.
