03:40 PM EDT, 09/18/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were lower late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index declining 0.2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) easing 0.1%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was down 0.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index added 0.3%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.6% to $63.68 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract decreased 0.6% to $67.56 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 5.4% to $2.93 per 1 million BTU.

US natural gas stocks rose by 90 billion cubic feet in the week ended Sept. 12, ahead of the 81 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following an increase of 71 billion cubic feet in the previous week.

In corporate news, Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) Chief Executive Darren Woods said in an interview that the company is in talks with Russian officials to recoup $4.6 billion in assets and has no intention of investing in the country, the Financial Times reported. Exxon shares were down 0.7%.