09:04 AM EDT, 10/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were declining premarket Friday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) 0.3% lower recently.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was down 0.6% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 1% lower.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was 0.5% lower at $70.33 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil lost 0.4% to $74.12 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 0.6% at $2.33 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Centrus Energy ( LEU ) shares were up over 3% after the company said its American Centrifuge Operating unit is one of the four firms awarded a contract from the US Department of Energy to expand domestic commercial production of uranium.