Energy stocks outperformed the broader market gains on Thursday night, with the NYSE Energy Sector Index up 3.0% and the Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) up 3.5%. Philadelphia’s oil services index jumped 4.9%, while the Dow Jones US Utilities index was 0.2% lower, reversing earlier gains.

First month West Texas Intermediate crude rose $ 0.90 to $ 73.13 per barrel, and Brent Crude added $ 0.93 to $ 77.12 due to higher demand for fuel while that US crude inventories have plummeted. Henry Hub natural gas futures rose from $ 0.21 to $ 5.01 per million BTUs.

In company news, Vertex Energy (VTNR) said on Wednesday that its proposed $ 75 million acquisition of the Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) refinery in Mobile, Alabama, was about to conclude in the first quarter of next year. Vertex stock was down almost 4%.

TotalEnergies (TTE) said its consortium with Qair and Green Investment Group had secured a place to participate in an upcoming tender to develop a floating wind farm with a maximum output of 270 megawatts in southern Brittany. The shares rose almost 3%.

PDC Energy (PDCE) has announced that it has released its second annual sustainability report and plans to reduce greenhouse gas and methane emissions intensity by 60% and 50%, respectively, by 2025. L share rose more than 5% at the end of the trade.