Energy stocks were mixed Thursday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 0.4% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) easing 0.2%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was climbing up 2.1%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index decreased 0.5%.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil shed 0.4% to $84.09 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract fell 1.3% to $89.58 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose 1.5% to $2.76 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX) and other big oil companies are vying for Venezuela's choicest drilling spots, but talks with Venezuelan officials have recently hit an impasse, preventing them from making big moves, The Wall Street Journal reported. Exxon shares were down 0.3%, and Chevron was shedding 0.4%.