01:50 PM EDT, 03/27/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks fell Thursday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index down 0.5% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) shedding 1.1%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index dropped 1.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index rose 0.2%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil gained 0.2% to $69.81 a barrel, and global benchmark Brent crude contract climbed 0.1% at $73.87 a barrel.

US natural gas stocks rose by 37 billion cubic feet in the week ended Friday, topping the 33 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following the gain of 9 billion in the previous week.

Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.1% to $3.90 per 1 million BTU.

In sector news, the Trump administration asked oil and biofuel groups to discuss and work together on a new biofuel policy, Reuters reported.

In corporate news, TotalEnergies (TTE) and its partners Equinor ( EQNR ) and Shell (SHEL) approved an investment of 7.5 billion Norwegian kroner ($715.1 million) for the second phase of the Northern Lights carbon capture and storage project in Norway. TotalEnergies shares added 0.5%, Equinor ( EQNR ) gained 0.6% and Shell rose 0.9%.

Liberty Energy (LBRT) is expected to benefit from its new power generation services business, whose earnings prospects are undervalued by investors, as well as from the stabilizing North American fracking market, Morgan Stanley said. Liberty shares advanced 3.8%.

Par Pacific ( PARR ) shares climbed 3.4% after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to buy from neutral and raised its price target to $19 from $18.