SERVICE AGREEMENT
                                 (ESS Service)


         AGREEMENT made this 1st day of August, 1993, by and between National
Fuel Gas Supply Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation, hereinafter called
"Transporter,"  and  NATIONAL  FUEL GAS  DISTRIBUTION  CORPORATION,  hereinafter
called  "Shipper."

         WITNESSETH:  That in  consideration  of the mutual covenants
herein  contained,  the parties hereto agree that Transporter will store natural
gas for Shipper  during the term,  at the rates and on the terms and  conditions
hereinafter  provided.

                                  ARTICLE  I

                                  Quantities

         Beginning  on the  date on which storage service is commenced
hereunder and thereafter for the remaining term of this Agreement, and subject
to the provisions of Transporter's ESS Rate Schedule  Transporter agrees to
cause to be injected into storage for Shipper's account, store, and withdraw
from storage, quantities of natural gas as follows:

         Maximum Storage Quantity (MSQ) of 23,882,071 Dekatherms (Dth)
         Maximum Daily Injection Quantity (MDIQ) of 140,483 Dth
         Maximum Daily Withdrawal Quantity (MDWQ) of 511,633 Dth


                                  ARTICLE II

                                     Rate

                  Unless  otherwise  mutually  agreed in a written  amendment to
this Agreement, for each dekatherm of gas transported for Shipper by Transporter
hereunder,  Shipper shall pay  Transporter  the maximum rate provided under Rate
Schedule ESS set forth in Transporter's  effective FERC Gas Tariff. In the event
that  the  Transporter  places  on  file  with  the  Federal  Energy  Regulatory
Commission  ("Commission")  another rate  schedule  which may be  applicable  to
transportation service rendered hereunder, then Transporter,  at its option, may
from and  after the  effective  date of such rate  schedule,  utilize  such rate
schedule  in  performance  of  this  Agreement.   Such  a  rate  schedule(s)  or
superseding rate schedule(s) and any revisions  thereof which shall be filed and

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become effective shall apply to and be a part of this Agreement. Transporter
shall have the right to propose, file and make effective with the  Commission,
or other body having jurisdiction,  changes and revisions of any effective rate
schedule(s), or to propose, file, and make effective superseding rate schedules,
for the purpose of changing the rate, charges, and other provisions thereof
effective as to Shipper.

                  Shipper  agrees to reimburse  Transporter  for the filing fees
associated with this service and paid to the Commission.


                                  ARTICLE III

                               Term of Agreement

                  This Agreement  shall be effective as of the effective date of
the tariff sheets  implementing the  restructuring of Transporter's  services in
Docket No. RS92-21, and shall continue in effect until March 31, 2003, and shall
continue  in effect  from year to year  thereafter  until  terminated  by either
Shipper or Transporter  effective as of April 1st of any year,  upon twelve (12)
months written notice to the other.


                                   ARTICLE IV

                               Regulatory Approval

                  Performance  under this Agreement by  Transporter  and Shipper
shall be  contingent  upon  Transporter  and  Shipper  receiving  all  necessary
regulatory or other  governmental  approvals  upon terms  satisfactory  to each.
Should  Transporter  and Shipper be denied such approvals to provide the service
contemplated  herein or construct and operate any necessary  facilities therefor
upon the  terms and  conditions  requested  in the  application  therefor,  then
Transporter's and Shipper's obligations hereunder shall terminate.


                                   ARTICLE V

              Incorporation By Reference of Tariff Provisions

                  To the extent not  inconsistent  with the terms and conditions
of  this  agreement,  the  provisions  of Rate  Schedule  FT,  or any  effective
superseding rate schedule or otherwise  applicable rate schedule,  including any
provisions of the General Terms and Conditions incorporated therein,  and any

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revisions  thereof that may be made  effective  hereafter are
hereby made applicable to and a part hereof by reference.


                                  ARTICLE VI

                                 Miscellaneous

                  1. No change,  modification  or alteration  of this  Agreement
shall be or become  effective  until executed in writing by the parties  hereto,
and no course of dealing  between the parties  shall be  construed  to alter the
terms hereof, except as expressly stated herein.

                  2. No waiver by any party of any one or more  defaults  by the
other in the performance of any provisions of this Agreement shall operate or be
construed as a waiver of any other default or defaults,  whether of a like or of
a different character.

                  3. Any company  which  shall  succeed by  purchase,  merger or
consolidation of the gas related  properties,  substantially as an entirety,  of
Transporter  or of Shipper,  as the case may be, shall be entitled to the rights
and shall be subject to the  obligations of its  predecessor in title under this
Agreement.  Either party may, without  relieving itself of its obligations under
this Agreement, assign any of its rights hereunder to a company with which it is
affiliated,  but  otherwise,  no assignment  of this  Agreement or of any of the
rights or obligations hereunder shall be made unless there first shall have been
obtained the consent thereto in writing of the other party. Consent shall not be
unreasonably withheld.

                  4. Except as herein otherwise provided,  any notice,  request,
demand,  statement or bill provided for in this  Agreement,  or any notice which
either  party may  desire to give the other,  shall be in  writing  and shall be
considered as duly  delivered when mailed by registered or certified mail to the
Post Office address of the parties hereto, as the case may be, as follows:

                  Transporter:   National Fuel Gas Supply
                                   Corporation
                                 Gas Supply - Transportation
                                 Room 1200
                                 10 Lafayette Square
                                 Buffalo, New York  14203

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                  Shipper:       National Fuel Gas Distribution
                                   Corporation
                                 10 Lafayette Square
                                 Buffalo, New York 14203

or at such other  address as either  party  shall  designate  by formal  written
notice.  Routine   communications,   including  monthly  statements,   shall  be
considered as duly delivered  when mailed by either  registered,  certified,  or
ordinary mail, electronic communication, or telecommunication.

                  5. Transporter and Shipper shall proceed with due diligence to
obtain such governmental and other regulatory  authorizations as may be required
for the rendition of the services contemplated herein, provided that Transporter
reserves the right to file and prosecute  applications for such  authorizations,
any supplements or amendments  thereto and, if necessary,  any court review,  in
such  manner  as it deems to be in its best  interest,  including  the  right to
withdraw the application or to file pleadings and motions (including motions for
dismissal).

                  6.  This  Agreement  and  the  respective  obligations  of the
parties  hereunder  are subject to all present  and future  valid laws,  orders,
rules and regulations of constituted  authorities  having  jurisdiction over the
parties,  their functions or gas supply, this Agreement or any provision hereof.
Neither party shall be held in default for failure to perform  hereunder if such
failure is due to compliance with laws, orders, rules or regulations of any such
duly constituted authorities.

                  7. The subject  headings of the articles of this Agreement are
inserted for the purpose of  convenient  reference  and are not intended to be a
part of the Agreement nor considered in any interpretation of the same.

                  8. No presumption  shall operate in favor of or against either
party  hereto as a result of any  responsibility  either  party may have had for
drafting this Agreement.

                  9. The  interpretation and performance of this Agreement shall
be in accordance with the laws of the State of Pennsylvania, without recourse to
the law regarding the conflict of laws.

                  IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  parties  hereto  have  caused  this
Agreement  to be  signed  by  their  respective  Presidents  or Vice  Presidents
thereunto duly authorized and their respective corporate seals to be hereto

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affixed and attested by their respective Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries,
the day and year first above written.


                                      NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY
                                        CORPORATION

                                             Transporter

Attest:



/s/ Richard M. DiValerio              By /s/ Richard Hare
      Secretary                          President
  (Corporate Seal)


                                      NATIONAL FUEL GAS DISTRIBUTION
                                        CORPORATION

                                                Shipper

Attest:



/s/ David F. Smith                    By  /s/ Philip C. Ackerman
      Secretary                          President
  (Corporate Seal)