AGREEMENT


                  AGREEMENT  dated  August 1, 1986,  between  NATIONAL  FUEL GAS
DISTRIBUTION  CORPORATION  (hereinafter  called  National  Fuel),  and JOSEPH P.
PAWLOWSKI (hereinafter called the Employee).

                  1. Purpose.  The Employee is presently an employee of National
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Fuel,  having  joined  National  Fuel on August 11, 1975,  after working for and
gaining valuable experience with certain previous  employers.  This Agreement is
intended to enable the Employee to receive approximately the same benefits as he
would have  received  under the National Fuel Gas Company  Tax-Deferred  Savings
Plan ("TDSP") and/or under the makeup  payments  provided for under the National
Fuel Gas Company Deferred  Compensation  Plan ("DCP"),  as they now exist and as
they may be hereafter amended  (collectively,  the "Plans"), if certain previous
periods of employment had been with National Fuel.

                  2.  Creditable  Previous  Employment.  Twelve  (12)  years  of
                      --------------------------------
service shall constitute the years of Creditable Previous Employment.

                  3.  Equalizing  Amounts.  At such times as it is convenient to
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National,  during  the  continuance  of  this  Agreement,  National  Fuel  shall
determine what Employer matching  contributions  were actually made with respect
to the Employee for various time  periods  under the TDSP.  National  Fuel shall
then calculate what Employer matching





                                      - 2 -
contribution  would have been made on behalf of the Employee  under the TDSP for
various time periods if the Employee had not  participated in the DCP (or if DCP
deferrals had instead  constituted TDSP deferrals),  and if the Employee's years
of service for TDSP purposes were increased by his years of Creditable  Previous
Employment.- The difference  shall be hereinafter  referred to as an 'Equalizing
Amount'.  National Fuel shall give the Employee written notice of the Equalizing
Amount.
                  4. Requirement to Purchase Stock. If, within four months after
                     -----------------------------
the employee is given notice of his  Equalizing  Amount for his active  service,
the Employee  demonstrates  to National  Fuel that during the  six-month  period
ending three months after he was given such notice,  he has  purchased  National
Fuel Gas Company  common stock from persons other than his  immediate  family or
any  trusts  or other  entities  he  controls,  at a cost  (including  brokerage
commissions) at least equal to his Equalizing Amount, National Fuel will pay the
Employee in cash his Equalizing Amount.

                  5.  Termination  of Employment.  If the Employee's  employment
                      --------------------------
with National Fuel terminates,  National Fuel, as soon as it is convenient, will
pay any  unpaid  Equalizing  Amount  to the  Employee  or, if  deceased,  to his
executors  or  administrators.  National  Fuel  may,  at its  election,  pay the
Equalizing Amount without regard to the purchase of stock





                                      - 3 -
meeting the requirements of Paragraph 4. This Agreement shall terminate when all
payments described in this Paragraph 5 have been made.


                  6. Amendment, Modification or Termination of Agreement. If the
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Plans terminate, this Agreement shall terminate as of the effective date of such
Plans' termination.  National Fuel further reserves the right to amend,  modify,
suspend or  terminate  this  Agreement  at any time,  by  written  notice to the
Employee.


                  7. Effect on Present Plan. The  Equalizing  Amount paid to the
                     ----------------------
Employee  shall be in addition to the benefits he receives or may receive  under
the Plans. The references contained herein to the Plans do not in any way affect
or change the Plans or make this  Agreement a part of the Plans.  This Agreement
is not intended to constitute a qualified plan under Section 401 of the Internal
Revenue Code.


                  8.  Incompetence  and Incapacity.  If National Fuel determines
                      ----------------------------
that  the  Employee,  whether  or  not  he  has  terminated  employment  due  to
disability,  is  incompetent or otherwise is or may be incapable of receiving or
intelligently  utilizing  such  Equalizing  Amount,  National  Fuel may pay such
Equalizing Amount to such other





                                      - 4 -
person or persons as National Fuel deems appropriate, or may pay such Equalizing
Amount to the  Employee  if it deems  this  appropriate,  or may  withhold  such
payment,  without  liability to the Employee or any party  claiming to represent
him or claiming authority to receive such Equalizing Amount.


                  9.  Alienation.  Until  the  Equalizing  Amount is paid to the
                      ----------
Employee under this  Agreement,  the right to receive it shall not be assignable
by the  Employee  or be  subject in any manner to  alienation,  sale,  transfer,
claims of creditors of the Employee, attachment or encumbrances of any kind.


                  10.  Miscellaneous.   This  Agreement  represents  the  entire
                       -------------
understanding of the parties and is subject to all applicable state, federal and
local laws,  regulations,  ordinances  and  orders,  and shall be  construed  in
accordance  with  the laws of the  State of New  York.  Payments  of  Equalizing
Amounts  hereunder  shall  be  subject  to  income  tax  withholding  and  other
applicable payroll taxes.




                                 NATIONAL FUEL GAS  DISTRIBUTION
                                 CORPORATION




                                 BY /s/J. M. Brown
                                    ---------------------------------------
                                        J. M. Brown


                                 Accepted By /s/Joseph P. Pawlowski
                                             ------------------------------
                                                Joseph P. Pawlowski