Sector Update: Energy Stocks Advance Pre-Bell Thursday

09:21 AM EDT, 10/15/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were advancing pre-bell Thursday, with the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) 0.2% higher. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.4% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.5% lower. Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was 0.4% higher at $95.51 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil fell 1.4% to $104.57 per barrel, and natural gas futures were up 1.7% at $3.25 per 1 million British Thermal Units. TotalEnergies (TTE) stock was up more than 1% after the company said it expects Q3 hydrocarbon production of 2.45 million to 2.50 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, up more than 4% year over year, excluding the impact of the Middle East conflict. Venture Global (VG) has signed agreements with GE Vernova (GEV) and Baker Hughes (BKR) Energy Services to expand its grid-independent power network, potentially supporting up to 10 gigawatts of additional computing capacity, the company said. Venture Global stock was down more than 2% pre-bell. Equinor (EQNR) will complete the electrification of the Troll oil-and-gas drilling platforms offshore Norway, but with some modifications to a 2021 plan, the company said. Equinor shares were 0.2% higher premarket.