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NYMEX Benchmark Crude November: (-1.2%) to $85.92

Top Energy Stocks

XOM: -0.8%

CVX: -1.4%

COP: -0.8%

SLB: -3.9%

OXY: -3.1%

Energy shares are down in late-session trading as crude oil futures finish in the red after the Federal Reserve announced it would take additional economy-boosting measures.

Light, sweet crude oil for November delivery finished down 1.2% to $85.92 a barrel. In other energy futures, heating oil was down 0.37% to $2.95 a gallon while natural gas was down 1.5% to $3.74 per million British thermal units.

In energy ETFs, the United States Oil Fund ( USO ) is down 1.35% to $32.98. The United States Natural Gas ETF ( UNG ) is down 1.26% to $9.39.

The Federal Reserve today moved, as expected, to revive a 1960s-era program dubbed "Operation Twist" involving the sale of short-term bonds and purchasing an equal amount of long-term bonds. The Fed said the program will amount to $400 billion.

In late-session energy news, shares of Hercules Offshore ( HERO ) are down while Bloomberg reports the shallow-water driller said a rig it is operating for a Chevron ( CVX ) subsidiary off the Angola coast will be out of service for six months.

There is damage to one of its legs, the report said.

Hercules shares are down 2.8%, or $0.11, to $3.82.

Meanwhile, shares of Apache Corp. ( APA ) are higher as the company said it will pay $1.75 billion for Exxon Mobil Corp.'s (XOM) U.K. North Sea assets, including the Beryl field and associated properties.

In a statement, Apache said that at the end of 2010, the properties had proved reserves estimated at 68 million barrels of oil equivalent. The deal increases Apache's North Sea production by 54% and proved reserves by 44%. Apache said

it would fund the deal with cash on hand.

Apache shares are down 0.12%, or $0.11, to $94.41.

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