Oil and gas stocks gained ground in early trading, moving counter to the broader market trend. At the time of reporting, Shandong Molong Petroleum Machinery Company Limited (00568) was up 6.59%, trading at HK$6.96. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (00883) rose 1.51% to HK$26.82, while PetroChina Company Limited (00857) advanced 1.10% to HK$11.01.