09:29 AM EDT, 09/26/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher premarket Friday, with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) advancing by 0.3%.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was 0.1% higher and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was down 1.4%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was 0.4% higher at $65.34 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil gained 0.4% to $69.71 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 1.1% at $3.16 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Knot Offshore Partners ( KNOP ) stock was up more than 4% after the company reported Q2 earnings late Thursday of $6.8 million, swinging from a loss of $12.9 million a year earlier.

TechnipFMC ( FTI ) shares were up more than 2% after the company said it received a contract valued between $250 million and $500 million from Exxon Mobil Guyana to supply subsea production systems for its Hammerhead project in the Stabroek Block.

Exxon Mobil's ( XOM ) Esso and Eni (E) are among the six oil companies that were fined a combined 936.7 million euros ($1.09 billion) for allegedly establishing a fuel price "cartel," the Italian Competition Authority said. Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) shares were 0.4% higher and Eni stock was up 0.1% pre-bell.