Exhibit 99.a

[GRAPHIC OF ONEOK APPEARS HERE]                           Financial News

       Post Office Box 871                          Tulsa, OK 74102-0871
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For Immediate Release:  November 30, 2001

             Media: Don Sherry, 405-551-6738 (Pager: 405-961-5678)
                     Analysts: Weldon Watson, 918-588-7158
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                        ONEOK TAKES EARNINGS CHARGE BASED
                          ON OKLAHOMA REGULATORY ACTION

         Tulsa--ONEOK, Inc., (NYSE:OKE) today announced it will take a
non-recurring charge of 18 cents per share of common stock in the fourth-quarter
as the result of an order from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) that
unfairly denied Oklahoma Natural Gas Company (ONG), a division of ONEOK, the
right to collect outstanding gas costs incurred while serving customers last
winter. ONG has appealed the order to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

         ONG's recovery of last winter's gas costs through its billing process
has been delayed by the OCC. The order halts that recovery process effective
December 1, 2001, leaving ONG with an estimated $34.6 million in gas costs yet
to be recovered. The company has requested and expects to receive a stay of the
order that will permit the company to collect the money subject to refund.
However, if the appeal is not successful, the company would have to refund the
money to its customers with interest. The exact amount to be charged to earnings
will be based on collections through the end of November.

         Sam Combs, president, and chief operating officer of ONG, said, "It is
regrettable that ONG has been singled out to carry the brunt of regulatory
frustration for last winter's higher gas costs even though our gas costs were
lower than other gas distributors in the region and in Oklahoma."

         Industry analysts blamed last winter's increased gas costs on low
domestic supplies of natural gas and increasing demand escalated by periods of
extraordinarily cold weather last year.

         The Commission mandated and closely monitored the competitive bidding
process used by ONG to acquire its gas supply. The OCC also reviewed records of
an affiliate gas supplier, ONEOK Energy Marketing and Trading Company (OEMT),
and determined it had charged ONG less on average than other customers.



         David Kyle, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of ONEOK,
said, "Our business practices are above reproach. We are suffering needlessly
from an order that at best can only be described as 20/20 hindsight. This order
is not supported by the evidence leaving us no choice but to seek a remedy
before the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.

                  "Although I am hopeful we will prevail in the appeal, I know
it will be a long process and, for that reason, it is appropriate to take this
action to eliminate any uncertainty about our future earnings."

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Statements contained in this release that include company expectations or
predictions of the future are forward-looking statements intended to be covered
by the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. It is important to note that the actual results of company
earnings could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking
statements. Additional information about ONEOK is available on the ONEOK web
site at www.oneok.com. Service area maps and logos are available under Media
Kit.