Deal would make ONEOK fourth largest U.S. gas distributor

<br>(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Tulsa-based ONEOK Incorporated has struck a deal that would make it the fourth-largest gas distributor in the nation. <br><br>The company will pay 420 million dollars for the

Thursday, October 17th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Tulsa-based ONEOK Incorporated has struck a deal that would make it the fourth-largest gas distributor in the nation.

The company will pay 420 million dollars for the Texas distribution operations of Pennsylvania's Southern Union Company. Southern Union's operations have 535-thousand customers. The deal should be finished by the end of the year.

ONEOK is the parent company of Oklahoma Natural Gas Company and Kansas Gas Services. Those utilities serve one-point-four million customers.

The nation's three largest gas distributors are Southern California Gas with 5 million customers, Pacific Gas and Electric with three-point-eight million customers and Nicor Gas with one-point-nine-eight million in northern Illinois.