BY ROD WALTON, Tulsa WorldBARTLESVILLE — ConocoPhillips, the nation's largest independent oil and gas producer which employs more than 2,000 people at its former corporate home in Bartlesville, has begun laying employees off there due to the persistent fall in crude oil prices, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday. The company would not confirm how many workers are caught up in the reduction, but various estimates put it in the dozens.Read more on NewsOK.com