09:23 AM EDT, 03/31/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were steady premarket Monday with the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund ( XLE ) recently inactive.

The United States Oil Fund ( USO ) was up 0.9% and the United States Natural Gas Fund ( UNG ) was 3.6% higher.

Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was up 0.7% at $69.83 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil rose by 0.6% to $73.19 per barrel, and natural gas futures were 4.2% higher at $4.23 per 1 million British Thermal Units.

Equinor ( EQNR ) shares advanced by 0.5% after the company said the Johan Castberg oil field, which it operates with a 46.3% ownership stake, has started production.

Sempra ( SRE ) shares were up 0.4% after the company said it is aiming to sell its natural gas distribution business Ecogas Mexico in a bid to simplify its portfolio and direct sale proceeds toward its five-year capital campaign.

GeoPark ( GPRK ) shares were down 0.1% after the company said it will divest certain assets and implement cost reduction initiatives.