01:54 PM EDT, 08/14/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.4% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) adding 1.6%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing 2.9%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index was up 0.7%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 1.1% to $82.15 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract advanced 1.3% to $88.18 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures added 0.9% to $2.75 per 1 million BTU.

In geopolitical news, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US plans to announce measures on Iran next week that have "never been seen," CNN reported. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the US can sustain its blockade against Iran "indefinitely," Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported. Transit through the Strait of Hormuz appeared to grind to a near standstill on Friday after two more ships were attacked at the chokepoint, Reuters reported. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. from the United Arab Emirates said its vessels were attacked Thursday evening, the news report said, adding that the UAE government blamed Iran, which made no immediate comment.

In corporate news, Phillips 66 (PSX) and Marathon Petroleum ( MPC ) held discussions earlier this year over a potential combination that would have created an oil-and-gas company valued at about $180 billion, Semafor reported. Phillips 66 shares were down 0.1%, and Marathon was shedding 0.8%.

Shell (SHEL) has lost a legal battle with environmental activists over an oil exploration campaign off South Africa's Wild Coast, Bloomberg reported. The Constitutional Court ruled that the exploration right cannot be renewed, Bloomberg said. The report said the five-year legal dispute began in 2021, when activists challenged Shell's planned seismic survey over concerns about community consultation and potential impacts on marine life. Shell shares were up 1%.

Diversified Energy ( DEC ) is in preliminary talks to acquire Birch Resources, which operates in the Permian Basin, Reuters reported. Diversified Energy ( DEC ) shares rose 1%.