** S&P 500 Energy Sector inches 1% higher, after oil prices steadied over Iran playing down a reported Israeli attack on its soil
** Brent up 0.2% at $87.23/bbl, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate $(WTI)$ crude rises 0.5% to $83.18/bbl; prices earlier spikes to more than $3/bbl
** Iran played down a reported Israeli attack, in a sign that an escalation of hostilities in the Middle East might be avoided
** Kinder Morgan , Williams Companies and Oneok rose between 2.3% and 3.3%, among the top pct gainers on the energy index
** Oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron climb 1.3% and 1.7%, respectively
** Refiner Phillips 66 up 1.3% at $155.26
** As oil's risk premium has gradually unwound, prices have fallen around 3% since Monday and are set for their biggest weekly loss since February
(Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru)
((Arunima.Kumar@thomsonreuters.com; Twitter:
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