03:50 PM EDT, 09/20/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks fell late Friday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index down 0.2% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) decreasing 0.1%.

The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector index rose 0.6%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities index gained 2.3%.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was slightly lower at $71.92 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent eased 0.2% to $74.72 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures gained 4.4% to $2.45 per 1 million BTU.

In corporate news, Battalion Oil ( BATL ) shares surged nearly 123% in recent Friday trading after it said late Thursday that Fury Resources will acquire the company for $7 per share in cash, without interest, under an amended deal.

Equinor ( EQNR ) said Friday it will no longer pursue plans to export hydrogen from Norway to Germany because the pipeline project is not deemed viable. Its shares added 0.2%.

Constellation Energy ( CEG ) entered into a 20-year deal with Microsoft ( MSFT ) , with the energy company restarting the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania to help power the tech giant's data centers with carbon-free energy. Constellation shares surged past 21%, while Microsoft ( MSFT ) eased 0.3%.

Chevron ( CVX ) is not interested in investing in US liquefied natural gas plant construction deeming it an inefficient use of capital since it can "easily" sell its US gas, Reuters reported, citing Colin Parfitt, vice president of Chevron's ( CVX ) midstream. Chevron ( CVX ) shares were adding 0.6%.