01:27 PM EDT, 05/15/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were mixed Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 0.1% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.3%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was posting a 0.1% decline, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index climbed 1.4%.

US crude oil stocks, including those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, fell by 1.9 million barrels in the week ended May 10 following a decrease of 400,000 barrels in the previous week. Excluding inventories in the SPR, commercial crude stocks fell by 2.5 million barrels after a 1.4-million-barrel decline in the previous week, a larger drop than the 600,000-barrel decrease expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:40 am ET.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude was rising 0.3% to $78.28 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent was advancing 0.2% to $82.54 a barrel. Henry Hub natural-gas futures jumped 2.4% to $2.40 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Petrobras' (PBR) board has approved the early termination of Chief Executive Jean Paul Prates, effective immediately. Also, the board removed Sergio Caetano Leite as chief financial officer. Petrobras shares tumbled past 6%.