09:22 AM EDT, 06/13/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were declining pre-bell Thursday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) down 0.1% recently.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 0.5% higher and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was down 1.1%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.3% at $78.75 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil added 0.4% to $82.92 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 1.4% at $3.00 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

NextDecade ( NEXT ) shares were over 5% higher after the company and Aramco said their subsidiaries have agreed to a non-binding 20-year liquefied natural gas sale and purchase agreement.

MRC Global ( MRC ) shares were up 0.9% after the company said its subsidiary, MRC Global US was selected by ExxonMobil ( XOM ) as the primary supplier of pipe, valves, and fitting products and services in North America.