01:32 PM EDT, 04/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks fell Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index dropping 0.1% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) shedding 0.3%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index rose 0.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index gained 0.4%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil climbed 0.4% to $83.01 a barrel, while the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 0.1% to $87.41 a barrel.

US natural gas stocks rose by 50 billion cubic feet in the week ended April 12, below the 51 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:45 am ET and following an increase of 24 billion cubic in the previous week.

Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.9% to $1.744 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Kinder Morgan ( KMI ) late Wednesday reported mixed Q1 results with revenue trailing market expectations and the pipeline operator opting to keep the full-year earnings outlook unchanged. Its shares gained 2.6%.