Crude Oil Prices Retract Crude oil markets moved lower on **Wednesday**, with **West Texas Intermediate (WTI)** declining as bearish sentiment took hold. The drop was largely driven by a combination of escalating geopolitical tensions and market expectations for increased **U.S. inventory** levels. These factors overshadowed immediate supply concerns, specifically a temporary production halt in **Kazakhstan**. Although strong economic data from **China** and the Kazakh shutdowns briefly lifted prices, the rally was unable to sustain momentum against the prevailing trend. Market conditions indicate that broader downward pressures are likely to persist. The balance between rising inventories and geopolitical risks continues to dominate the global outlook, dampening the impact of isolated supply disruptions.