09:03 AM EDT, 09/11/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher premarket Wednesday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) recently up 0.2%.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 1.3% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1.7% higher.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 2.2% at $67.22 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil gained 1.9% to $70.52 per barrel, and natural gas futures were up 2.5% at $2.29 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Transocean ( RIG ) shares were up 3% after the company said it signed a drillship contract for the Deepwater Atlas with BP (BP) in the US Gulf of Mexico.