December WTI crude oil (CLZ24) Tuesday closed up +0.08 (+0.12%), and December RBOB gasoline (RBZ24) closed up +0.0073 (+0.37%). Crude oil and gasoline prices Tuesday recovered from 1-1/2 week lows and closed slightly higher. Mild short-covering emerged in crude oil Tuesday after the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported that due to post-tropical Cyclone Rafael, US Gulf of Mexico crude production has fallen by -2.71 million bbl since November 6. Crude prices Tuesday initially moved lower after the dollar index (DXY00) rallied to a 4-1/4 month high. Also, global energy d…