01:43 PM EST, 01/17/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index up 0.5% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) rising 0.8%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index climbed 2.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index added 0.3%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was declining 0.5% to $78.26 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was down 0.5% to $80.91 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 7.2% to $3.95 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Schlumberger's ( SLB ) Q4 results came in above Wall Street's estimates, driven by double-digit revenue growth in its digital and integration division and increased offshore activity in the US Gulf of Mexico. Its shares jumped past 7%.