09:00 AM EDT, 09/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher premarket Friday as the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) recently advanced by 0.4%.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.1% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1.7% higher.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.3% at $67.47 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil lost 0.4% to $70.77 per barrel, and natural gas futures were up 1.8% at $2.80 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Scorpio Tankers ( SBBA ) shares were up over 1% after the company said its President Robert Bugbee purchased 2,343 call option contracts on the fuel tanker operator's stock for $1.5 million.