01:45 PM EDT, 08/29/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks advanced Friday afternoon with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 0.5% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) adding 0.7%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index climbed 0.4%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index eased 0.1%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil declined 0.9% to $64.02 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract shed 0.8% to $67.43 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.6% to $2.99 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Equinor ( EQNR ) signed a one-year deal to supply Orlen with more than 6 million metric tons of crude oil from the Johan Sverdrup field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, with deliveries to begin in September. Equinor ( EQNR ) shares rose 0.6%.

TXNM Energy ( TXNM ) said late Thursday that its shareholders approved the acquisition of the company by Blackstone Infrastructure at a special meeting. TXNM's stock rose 0.3%.

Cenovus Energy's ( CVE ) planned acquisition of MEG Energy is facing opposition from Canadian oil and gas producer Strathcona Resources, which said it intends to buy an additional 5% of the company and oppose the Cenovus bid. Cenovus shares fell 1.3%.