India, Dec. 29 -- By Kaushal Verma

New Delhi [India], December 29 (ANI): Crude oil markets are likely to remain under sustained pressure in 2026 as chronic oversupply, swelling inventories and modest demand growth outweigh geopolitical risks, giving prices range bound to bearish tone despite efforts by OPEC+ to defend price floors, analysts said.

"The 2026 outlook for crude oil is defined by a transition into a period of chronic oversupply," said Vandana Bharti, AVP, Commodities Research at SMC Global Securities. "Global production growth will continue to outpace modest demand gains, potentially leading to a surplus of 2 to 4 million barrels per day."

Bharti said relentless output growth from non-OPEC+ producers, particularly the U.S.,...