Bearish Momentum Builds in Oil Markets as China Stockpiles Crude

Crude oil spent last week trading with a bearish tilt as the market digested a rapid sequence of supply and geopolitical developments. The tone heading into Friday was defined by weakness, with WTI settling at $58.66 on Thursday, down $1.38 or 2.30%, after traders reassessed the impact of a potential Russia-Ukraine diplomatic framework and the likelihood of looser sanctions. Earlier support driven by Russian export disruptions faded quickly once flows resumed, leaving the market more responsive to surplus signals than temporary outages. While refined-product…