09:08 AM EDT, 03/21/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher premarket Thursday as the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was up 0.1% recently.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.3% lower and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was down nearly 1%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.2% at $81.10 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil lost 0.2% to $85.77 per barrel. Natural gas futures were 0.9% lower at $1.683 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Shell (SHEL) said its unit, Shell New Energies US, had sold its 50% stake in SouthCoast Wind Energy to joint venture partner Ocean Winds North America, effective immediately. Shell was up 0.6% pre-bell.