09:30 AM EDT, 08/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were edging higher premarket Tuesday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) recently up 0.1%.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was up 0.2% and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was down 1.2%.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was down 0.01% at $73.65 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil was down 0.01% at $77.65 per barrel. Natural gas futures were down 1.5% at $2.202 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Gran Tierra Energy ( GTE ) shares were down more than 6% after saying it has agreed to acquire the UK's i3 Energy for about 174.1 million British pounds ($226.7 million) in cash and stock.

Diversified Energy ( DEC ) said it will acquire operated natural gas assets in eastern Texas as well as an undeveloped area, which will be bought together with a third-party development firm, from an unnamed regional operator under a conditional purchase and sale agreement. Diversified Energy ( DEC ) shares were 0.2% lower pre-bell.