Energy stocks were higher Tuesday afternoon, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index rising 0.7% and the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 0.5%.
The Philadelphia Oil Service Sector Index was decreasing 0.6%, and the Dow Jones US Utilities Index rose 1.1%.
In geopolitical news, Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis attacked energy facilities and cities in US ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and underscoring the risk of the Iran conflict escalating into a wider regional war, Reuters reported. Saudi Arabia said the attacks stopped operations at several energy facilities in the kingdom's south, Bloomberg reported, while noting a pick-up in buying by China, the world's largest importer.
Front-month West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose 0.6% to $92.02 a barrel, and the global benchmark Brent crude contract eased 0.1% to $96.93 a barrel. Henry Hub natural gas futures fell 3% to $2.89 per 1 million BTU.
In corporate news, Equinor (EQNR) and Standard Lithium's (SLI) Smackover Lithium partnership said Tuesday that a preliminary economic assessment of the Franklin project in northeast Texas estimates annual production of up to 70,000 tonnes of battery-quality lithium carbonate. Equinor shares rose 2%, and Standard Lithium added 1.5%.
Solaris Energy Infrastructure (SEI) shares jumped past 16% after the firm said Tuesday that it now expects Q3 adjusted Ebitda of $110 million to $130 million, up from its previous guidance of $90 million to $105 million.
Tamboran Resources (TBN) and Formentera Partners' joint venture, Daly Waters Energy, has recorded its first natural gas sales from the Shenandoah South Pilot Project in Australia's Beetaloo Basin, Formentera said. Tamboran shares gained 3.3%.
TotalEnergies (TTE) shares rose 1.6% after the firm said Papua LNG has reached key contractual and commercial milestones, advancing the project toward a final investment decision.