BUZZ-Energy firms rise amid new sanctions on Russia

Updates

** S&P 500 Energy index .SPNY rises 0.9% as oil prices rally more than 4% to reach their highest levels since October O/R

** Brent crude futures LCOc1 up 4.6% at $80.42 a barrel, reaching $80 a barrel for the first time since Oct. 7; U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 up 4.8% at $77.49 a barrel

** Biden administration imposes its broadest package of sanctions yet, targeting Russia's oil and gas revenues in an attempt to give Kyiv and the incoming administration of Donald Trump leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine

** U.S. Treasury has slapped sanctions on Russian companies Gazprom Neft SIBN.MM and Surgutneftegas, which explore, produce and sell oil, as well as 183 vessels that have shipped Russian oil

** Shares of oil and gas majors Exxon Mobil XOM.N up 1.5% and Chevron CVX.N rise 1.3%

** APA Corp APA.O, EOG Resources EOG.N, Devon Energy DVN.N and Coterra Energy CTRA.N up between 2.6% and 3.6%, among top pct. gainers on the energy index

** Refiners Marathon Petroleum MPC.N, Valero Energy VLO.N and PBF Energy PBF.N rise between 1% and 4%

(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)

((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com;))