Sector Update: Energy Stocks Fall Pre-Bell Friday

09:28 AM EDT, 09/18/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Energy stocks were falling pre-bell Friday, with the State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) declining by 0.1%. The United States Oil Fund (USO) was up 0.7% and the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) was 0.5% higher. Front-month US West Texas Intermediate crude oil was 0.9% higher at $102.82 per barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil fell 0.6% to $104.24 per barrel, and natural gas futures were down 0.3% at $2.89 per 1 million British Thermal Units. TotalEnergies (TTE) partnered with BlackRock-owned (BLK) Global Infrastructure Partners to manage its African oil and gas infrastructure assets, the energy company said. Shares of TotalEnergies SE were down more than 1% premarket. BP (BP) Developments Australia has agreed to sell a 5% stake in the Browse liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia to Osaka Gas Browse, Osaka Gas said. BP shares were down more than 1% pre-bell. Equinor (EQNR) signed a long-term agreement with Thailand's PTT Trading to supply liquefied natural gas, Reuters reported, citing a company statement. Equinor shares were 0.1% lower premarket.