Sector Update: Energy Stocks Decline Late Afternoon

03:53 PM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were lower late Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index decreasing 0.4% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) down 0.5%. The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was falling 1.8%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index added 0.9%. In geopolitical news, the US and Iran have intensified tit-for-tat military strikes in recent days, remaining locked between ceasefire and all-out war as the White House struggles to end the six-month conflict, Bloomberg reported. Iran said it attacked bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates "in response to America's crimes against the Iranian people," Al Jazeera, a Middle Eastern broadcaster, reported. Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.7% to $91.62 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract increased 0.1% to $95.71 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures shed 1.3% to $2.92 per 1 million BTU. US natural gas stocks rose by 30 billion cubic feet in the week ended Aug. 28, smaller than the 31 billion gain expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg and following an increase of 15 billion cubic feet in the previous week. In corporate news, BP (BP) on Thursday sent a letter to the union representing workers at its refinery in Whiting, Indiana, stating that it is willing to re-start negotiations, or work through a federal mediator, to end a BP lock-out that began on March 19. Separately, BP has drawn interest from UK energy firm EnQuest regarding a potential purchase of its UK North Sea oil and gas operations, CNBC reported, citing an interview with EnQuest CEO Amjad Bseisu. BP shares were down 0.7%. Diversified Energy (DEC) has agreed to buy Birch Permian and affiliates for a gross purchase price of about $1.8 billion, the company said. Diversified Energy shares gained 2.3%. Equinor's (EQNR) East Point Energy unit has begun operations at Citrus Flatts, its largest energy storage project in the US, a key step toward building scalable operations in the onshore power industry. Equinor shares were down 2%. GeoPark (GPRK) said it has made a strategic entry into Venezuela via the acquisition of the Bare Block, a large producing asset in the Orinoco heavy-oil belt. GeoPark shares rose 1.1%.