EXHIBIT 12 CONSOLIDATED NATURAL GAS COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (Thousands of Dollars) ________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ Years Ended December 31, 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 ________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ Earnings: Income before cumulative effect of change in accounting principle . . . . $183,171 $188,494 $194,958 $168,613 $163,770 Add income taxes (excluding cumulative effect of change in accounting principle). . . . 82,427 99,906 68,623 54,844 52,123 ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Income before income taxes . . 265,598 288,400 263,581 223,457 215,893 Distributed income from unconsolidated investees, less equity in earnings thereof . . . 560 2,960 (1,707) (2,131) - ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Subtotal . . . . . . . . 266,158 291,360 261,874 221,326 215,893 ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ Add fixed charges: Interest on long-term debt, including amortization of debt discount and expense less premium . . . . . . . 88,788 85,265 93,594 96,528 82,905 Other interest expense . . . . 7,992 4,995 7,170 14,727 34,129 Portion of rentals deemed to be representative of the interest factor . . . . . . 8,486 8,378 7,822 7,460 7,653 ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ TOTAL FIXED CHARGES. . . . . . . 105,266 98,638 108,586 118,715 124,687 ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ TOTAL EARNINGS . . . . . . . . $371,424 $389,998 $370,460 $340,041 $340,580 ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES . . . . . . . . . . 3.53 3.95 3.41 2.86 2.73 ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== ________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________