Energy futures traded lower ahead of the weekend as fading geopolitical premiums pressured the complex. WTI Crude Oil futures dropped roughly 1% to hover around $71.60 per barrel, retreating from a two-and-a-half-week high established earlier in the session as localized activity in the Middle East cooled down. Meanwhile, Natural Gas futures experienced notable technical damage, breaking below the psychological $3.00 milestone to reach a new one-month low, keeping both commodities anchored near the bottom of their respective multi-month trading ranges.