08:26 AM EDT, 04/03/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were rising premarket Wednesday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) recently gaining 0.5%.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.9% higher and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) gained 1.6%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 1% at $86.01 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea crude oil gained 1% to $89.84 per barrel, and natural gas futures were 1.3% higher at $1.89 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Comstock Resources ( CRK ) was up 0.7% after the company priced an upsized private placement of $400 million of 6.75% senior unsecured notes due 2029.