Hello all,

I am currently working on removing this chimney stack completely from my house.
My goal is to improve thermal efficiency and gain space inside the house.
I upgraded my furnace and water heater to high-efficiency ones so that I can vent out directly. At this point, both of the installations are done and I no longer need this chimney stack.

My question is about framing-related.
Can I remove these studs? Are they load-bearing?

If more photos are needed to make a decision let me know.

PS: Attached one more photo detailing the layout and floor joist directions.