AFP/Getty Images Ships sail the North Sea.Brent crude, the global benchmark, rallied on Tuesday to another 2½-year high as news of a major North Sea oil pipeline shutdown continued to resonate in the market. February Brent LCOG8, +1.00% climbed 78 cents, or 1.1%, to $65.47 a barrel, touching levels not seen since mid-2015. Brent logged its highest settlement in more than two years on Monday as news of that pipeline closure surfaced. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, added 46 cents, or 0.8%, to $58.45 a barrel, after settling on Monday at more than a one-week high. Multinational chemicals group Ineos Ltd. said Monday that its Forties Pipeline System (FPS) would be closed for a “matter of weeks” after a hairline fracture discovered last week grew. The FPS system carries North Sea crude across land for processing at a major Scottish refinery. The pipeline connects 85 fields to the British mainland, according to media reports.via