09:10 AM EDT, 03/12/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were leaning lower premarket Tuesday as the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was declining about 0.1% recently.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.9% lower and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was up 3.7%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.6% at $77.45 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea crude oil lost 0.4% to $81.89 per barrel, and natural gas futures were 2.6% higher at $1.81 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

A fire at Exxon Mobil's ( XOM ) Port Jerome-Gravenchon refinery in northern France is now under control after a gasoline distillation unit caught fire on Monday, Reuters reported, citing local authorities. Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) was down less than 0.1% pre-bell.