01:50 PM EDT, 09/19/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were higher Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 1.8% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) gaining 2.3%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index climbed 3.2%, while the Dow Jones US Utilities index was shedding 0.8%.

Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil was rising 1.7% to $72.11 a barrel while the global benchmark Brent crude contract was advancing 1.6% to $74.81 a barrel.

US natural gas stocks rose by 58 billion cubic feet in the week ended Sept. 13, above the 54 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following an increase of 40 billion cubic feet in the previous week.

Henry Hub natural gas futures were 1.6% higher at $2.32 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Mammoth Energy Services ( TUSK ) shares jumped past 10% after its unit Cobra Acquisitions said Thursday that its $188.4 million settlement with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority was approved by a court on Wednesday.

Sunrun ( RUN ) shares dropped more than 4% recently. The company said late Wednesday that it was ending its sales partnership with Costco (COST) due to an inability to agree on terms, Bloomberg reported.

Shell's (SHEL) planned divestment in the Schwedt refinery in Germany is held up by pending third-party lawsuits, Reuters reported. Shell shares were rising 2%.