EXHIBIT 99.1


(NORTHERN BORDER PARTNERS, L.P. LOGO)          News         13710 FNB Parkway
                                               Release      Omaha, NE 68154-5200

                                               For Further Information
                                               Contact:

                                               Media Contact:
                                               Beth Jensen
                                               (402) 492-3400

                                               Investor Contact:
                                               Ellen Konsdorf
                                               (877) 208-7318


NORTHERN BORDER PARTNERS, L.P. DECLARES
FOURTH QUARTER 2003 CASH DISTRIBUTION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, February 9, 2004

         OMAHA - The Partnership Policy Committee of Northern Border Partners,
L.P. (NYSE - NBP) today declared the Partnership's quarterly cash distribution
of $0.80 per common unit for the fourth quarter 2003. The indicated annual rate
is $3.20. The distribution will be payable on February 20, 2004 to unitholders
of record February 17, 2004.

         Northern Border Partners earlier delayed the declaration of its fourth
quarter 2003 distribution due to the then-scheduled hearing date of February 2,
2004 on Enron Corp.'s pending application for exemption under the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA). By Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
order entered February 6, 2004, the hearing date has been postponed until
further notice on the condition that a status report on Enron's offer of
settlement is provided no later than March 8, 2004.

         Northern Border Partners also reports that Enron has filed an
application with the SEC requesting authorization for, among other items,
certain transactions specific to Northern Border Partners, including a request
to permit Northern Border Partners to declare and pay future distributions.
Further, the application seeks authority for Northern Border Partners to invest
as much as an additional $1 billion in natural gas gathering, processing,
storage and transportation assets and to issue and sell debt and equity
securities as may be required to fund such investments or acquisitions.




         Enron's application is predicated on its registration under PUHCA once
the requested authorizations are received. It is intended that the
authorizations be effective until the earlier of the deregistration of Enron
under PUHCA or July 31, 2005. Before any order by the SEC on the requested
authorizations is issued, the application will be subject to a statutory notice
period.

         As a result of these developments, the Partnership determined it could
proceed with the declaration and payment of the distribution for the quarter
ended December 31, 2003. Approval of Enron's application as filed would assure
that Northern Border Partners' normal schedule for future distributions would
not be impacted by Enron's registration under PUHCA.

         All notices, orders and the application can be accessed through the SEC
website at http://www.sec.gov.



This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Although Northern Border Partners, L.P. believes that its
expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that
such expectations will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements
include developments in the voluntary petition for bankruptcy including Enron's
formation of CrossCountry Energy, of which Northern Plains Natural Gas Company
and Pan Border Gas Company would be a part; potential denial by the Securities
and Exchange Commission of Enron's application for exemption under the Public
Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA); and potential regulation under
PUHCA.