Higher natural gas prices boost Williams Cos. earnings

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Tulsa-based Williams Companies is reporting a 20-fold increase in earnings for the first quarter of the year. <br/><br/>Williams says its first quarter earnings are more than $201-million

Thursday, May 5th 2005, 9:55 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Tulsa-based Williams Companies is reporting a 20-fold increase in earnings for the first quarter of the year.

Williams says its first quarter earnings are more than $201-million or 34 cents per share. That's up from just under $10-million last year and the natural gas producer lost $814.5-million during the first quarter two years ago.

Williams says increased production, higher sales volume and higher natural gas prices led to this year's increase in earnings.