EXHIBIT 99.1
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              NISOURCE ENTERS FINAL BIDDING PROCESS FOR COLUMBIA

                       NiSource Withdraws Tender Offer

   MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 14 /PR Newswire/ -- NiSource, Inc. (NYSE:NI)
   today announced that its tender offer for all of the outstanding common
   stock of Columbia Energy Group (NYSE:CG) is not being extended.

   NiSource Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Gary L. Neale
   stated, "We are gratified by the support that Columbia shareholders
   have shown for NiSource over the last eight months."

   "We are now entering the final phase of Columbia's defined bidding
   process.  In order to maintain confidentiality and flexibility in this
   process, it is necessary for us to withdraw the tender offer at this
   time," continued Neale.

   NiSource noted that at the expiration of its tender offer, midnight EST
   on Friday, February 11, 2000, Columbia Energy Group shareholders had
   tendered 47,576,897 shares pursuant to NiSource's tender offer.  This
   represents approximately 58.6% of Columbia's common shares
   outstanding.

   NiSource Inc. is a holding company whose primary business is the
   distribution of electricity, natural gas and water in the Midwest and
   Northeast United States.  The company also markets utility services
   and customer-focused resource solutions along a corridor stretching
   from Texas to Maine.  Further information about the company may be
   found on the Internet at http://www.nisource.com.