By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Energy stocks traded mixed in early action on Thursday, as investors weighed gains in the broad market on a better-than-expected weekly jobs report against an update on natural gas inventories due out during the session. Earnings updates from EL Paso, Exterran Holdings, Plains Exploration and Williams Cos. also entered into the mix. The NYSE Arca Oil Index (XOI 957.73, -10.05, -1.04%) fell 0.2% to 966. The NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index (XNG 456.73, -4.34, -0.94%) rose 0.5% to 463. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index (OSX 170.24, -2.03, -1.18%) rose 0.4% to 173. Williams Companies Inc. (WMB 16.68, -0.35, -2.06%) dipped 8 cents to $16.95 a nickel. The company said second-quarter profit fell 68% as the natural gas producer blamed lower commodity prices, while its gas pipeline results held steady. See full story. Oil service firm Exterran Holdings, Inc. (EXH 18.30, +0.79, +4.51%) jumped 5% to $18.37. The company reported a first-quarter loss of $530.8 million, or $8.66 a share, wider than the year-ago net income of $21.7 million, or 33 cents a share. The latest period includes a previously disclosed loss of $343 million on the company's Venezuelan operations and related non-cash charge of $246 million, also related to business there. Exterran also took a separate non-cash fleet-impairment charge of $86.7 million related to its North American operations. Breaking out the charges, Exterran earnings rose to 39 cents a share from 21 cents a share in the year-ago period. Revenue dropped to $678 million from $773.4 million. Analysts expected earnings of 32 cents a share, according to a survey by FactSet Research. Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP 25.48, -3.25, -11.31%) dropped nearly 10% to $26 share. The company said its second-quarter profit fell to $43.7 million, or 37 cents a share, from $202.9 million, or $1.84 a share in the year-ago period. Revenue dropped to $278.7 million from $732.7 million. Adjusted net income totaled $1.44 a share in the latest period. Analysts expected earnings of 32 cents a share. The company also amended its Haynesville Share operating agreement with Chesapeake Energy (CHK 24.13, +0.82, +3.52%) . Shares of Chesapeake rose 6% to $24.79. Analysts at Tudor Pickering Holt upgraded shares of the company to buy. El Paso Corp. (EP 10.00, -0.17, -1.67%) shares fell 0.9% to $10.08. The company said second-quarter net income dropped to $79 million, or 11 cents a share, from $191 million, or 27 cents a share in the year-ago period. See full story. The Houston energy producer and pipeline firm said adjusted earnings fell to 25 cents a share from 39 cents a share, while revenue decreased to $973 million from $1.15 billion. Analysts expected earnings of 21 cents a share, according to a survey by FactSet Research. "Our domestic production held up very well, even though we have reduced our drilling rig activity by roughly 70% since the third quarter of 2008," the company said.

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