08:46 AM EST, 01/03/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were advancing premarket Friday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) 0.4% higher recently.

The United States Oil Fund (USO) was 0.5% higher and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was down 5.3%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.2% at $73.24 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil gained 0.1% to $75.98 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 5% at $3.48 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Constellation Energy ( CEG ) said Thursday that it has been awarded over $1 billion in contracts by the US General Services Administration, including a 10-year, $840 million deal, to supply power to more than 13 federal government agencies. The company's shares were up 2% pre-bell Friday.