01:49 PM EDT, 07/30/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were lower Wednesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index falling 1% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) down 0.9%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index was decreasing 1%, while the Dow Jones US Utilities index was rising 1.1%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.4% to $70.21 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 1.1% to $73.34 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures were 3% lower at $3.05 per 1 million BTU.

US crude oil stocks, including those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, rose by 7.9 million barrels in the week ended July 25 following a decrease of 3.4 million barrels in the previous week. Excluding inventories in the SPR, commercial crude oil stocks rose by 7.7 million barrels after a 3.2-million-barrel drop in the previous week, compared with a 2.6-million-barrel decrease expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg.

In corporate news, Shell-led (SHEL) LNG Canada is facing technical problems as it ramps up production at its liquefied natural gas plant at Kitimat, Canada, Reuters reported. Shell shares were down 1.3%.

American Electric Power ( AEP ) shares rose 3.9% after it reported higher Q2 operating earnings and revenue Wednesday that beat analysts' estimates.

MPLX ( MPLX ) is in talks with Five Point Infrastructure to buy Northwind Midstream Partners for about $2.3 billion, Bloomberg reported. MPLX ( MPLX ) shares added 0.7%.