03:19 PM EDT, 07/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks rose late Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) both up 0.2%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index shed 0.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index eased 0.2%

West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell 0.3% to $82.58 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent shed 0.2% to $84.88 a barrel.

US natural gas stocks rose 10 billion cubic feet in the week ended Friday, below the 27 billion gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following an increase of 65 billion in the previous week. Stocks at 3.209 trillion climbed 8.4% from a year earlier and were 17% above the five-year average.

Henry Hub natural gas futures jumped 3.8% to $2.11 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, GE Vernova ( GEV ) shares fell 3.1% as the turbine and blade manufacturer and installation contractor for the Vineyard Wind joint venture grappled with damage at a turbine offshore Massachusetts.