02:33 PM EDT, 03/17/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.6% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 1.5%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index climbed 3.2%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was fractionally lower.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was rising 1.8% to $95.19 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract was advancing 2% to $102.20 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures edged up 0.1% to $3.03 per 1 million BTU.

In sector news, US producers are poised to earn an additional $63.4 billion in cash flow if West Texas Intermediate crude averages $100 per barrel for 2026, the Financial Times reported, citing data from Rystad Energy.

In corporate news, New Fortress Energy ( NFE ) signed a restructuring support agreement with creditors under a UK plan that will cut its debt to $527.5 million from $5.7 billion and split the company into two entities. Its shares jumped 11%.

Senior Trump administration officials are drafting settlement agreements that would pay TotalEnergies (TTE) nearly $1 billion in order to block wind farms off New York State and North Carolina, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing documents it reviewed. TotalEnergies shares rose 3.7%.

Eni (E) said Tuesday that the first gas delivery has been made from New Gas Consortium's Quiluma field offshore Angola. Separately, Eni said Tuesday it has signed a five-year revolving credit facility of 9 billion euros ($10.36 billion) that can be extended by up to two years. Eni shares climbed 3.9%.