SOUTHERN UNION CO
8-K, 1999-11-19
NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION
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       UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                   WASHINGTON, D. C.  20549

                      ------------------


                           FORM 8-K
                        CURRENT REPORT



Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934


Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)  October 27,
1999




                      SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY
      (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)




<PAGE>
         Delaware                     1-6407        75-0571592
(State or other jurisdiction       (Commission)  (I.R.S. Employer
    of incorporation or            File Number)   Identification
        organization)


       504 Lavaca Street, Eighth Floor              78701
              Austin, Texas                       (Zip Code)
  (Address of principal executive offices)



        Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                         (512)  477-5852




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<PAGE>

ITEM 5.   OTHER EVENTS

Effective November 3, 1999, Southern Union Company (Southern
Union) issued $300 million of 8 1/4% senior notes due on
November 15, 2029.  The net proceeds were used to fund the cash
portion of Southern Union's acquisition of Pennsylvania Enter-
prises, Inc. (PEI), to refinance certain debt of PEI, to finance
other expenses incurred in connection with the PEI merger, to
repay outstanding borrowings under Southern Union's bank credit
agreements, and other general corporate purposes.

ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(c)  Exhibits

     1.1  Form of Purchase Agreement entered into by Southern
          Union Company dated October 27, 1999 with respect to
          8.25% Senior Notes due 2029.

     1.2  Form of Pricing Agreement entered into by Southern
          Union Company dated October 27, 1999 with respect to
          8.25% Senior Notes due 2029.

    99.1  Officers' Certificate of Southern Union Company dated
          November 3, 1999 with respect to 8.25% Senior Notes
          due 2029.

<PAGE>

                           SIGNATURES



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.



                              SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY
                              ----------------------
                                  (Registrant)



Date   November 19, 1999      By  RONALD J. ENDRES
     ---------------------       ------------------
                                  Ronald J. Endres
                                  Executive Vice President and
                                  Chief Financial Officer


Date   November 19, 1999      By  DAVID J. KVAPIL
     ---------------------       -----------------
                                  David J. Kvapil
                                  Senior Vice President and
                                  Corporate Controller
                                  (Principal Accounting Officer)


<PAGE>

                                                      Exhibit 1.1


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                   SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY
                  (a Delaware corporation)



                       Debt Securities








                     PURCHASE AGREEMENT









                 Dated:  October 27, 1999



=================================================================
<PAGE>



                  SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY
                 (a Delaware corporation)

                     Debt Securities

                   PURCHASE AGREEMENT



                                               New York, New York

                                               October 27, 1999



DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
   SECURITIES CORPORATION
MERRILL LYNCH & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
CHASE SECURITIES INC.
CREDIT LYONNAIS SECURITIES (USA) INC.
   As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York  10172

Ladies and Gentlemen:

From time to time, Southern Union Company, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"), proposes to enter into one or more Pricing
Agreements (each a "Pricing Agreement") in the form of Annex I
hereto, with such additions and deletions as the parties thereto
may determine, and, subject to the terms and conditions stated
herein and therein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters (as
hereinafter defined) certain of its debt securities specified in
Schedule II to the applicable Pricing Agreement (with respect to
such Pricing Agreement, the "Offered Securities") on the terms
and conditions stated herein and in such Pricing Agreement.  The
Offered Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture dated
as of January 31, 1994 (the "Indenture") between the Company and
The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee (the "Trustee").  As used
herein, unless the context otherwise requires, the term
"Underwriters" shall mean Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities
Corporation ("DLJ"), Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated ("Merrill Lynch"), Banc of America Securities LLC
("B of A"), Chase Securities Inc. ("Chase") and Credit Lyonnais
Securities (USA) Inc. ("Credit Lyonnais") and such other firm or
firms as may be named as Underwriter or Underwriters in Schedule
I to the applicable Pricing Agreement and the term "you" shall
mean the Underwriters, if no underwriting syndicate is purchasing
the Offered Securities, or DLJ, Merrill Lynch, B of A, Chase and
Credit Lyonnais, as representatives of the Underwriters, if an
underwriting syndicate is purchasing the Offered Securities, as
indicated in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement.

The principal terms of the Offered Securities, including, without
limitation, the aggregate principal amount of the Offered Securi-
ties, the initial public offering price of such Offered Securi-
ties, the purchase price to the Underwriters of such Offered
Securities, the names of the Underwriters of such Offered Securi-
ties, the principal amount of such Offered Securities to be pur-
chased by the Underwriters, whether any of such Offered
Securities shall be covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts (as
defined in Section 2 hereof) and the commission payable to you
with respect thereto, along with the date, time and manner of
delivery of such Offered Securities and payment therefor shall be
agreed upon by the Company and you and such agreement shall be
set forth in the applicable Pricing Agreement.  Notwithstanding
anything contained herein to the contrary, the obligation of the
Company to issue and sell any of the Offered Securities and each
Underwriter's obligation to purchase any of the Offered Securi-
ties shall be evidenced solely by the applicable Pricing Agree-
ment.  The applicable Pricing Agreement shall also specify (to
the extent not set forth in the Registration Statement (as here-
inafter defined) and the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined)
included therein and the Indenture) the terms of the Offered
Securities.  From and after the date of the execution and
delivery of the applicable Pricing Agreement, this Agreement
shall be deemed to incorporate, and all references herein to
"this Agreement" shall be deemed to include, the applicable
Pricing Agreement and the Schedules thereto.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") two registration statements on Form S-3
(Registration Nos. 333-87617 and 333-58297), including a
prospectus (and preliminary prospectus supplement), relating to
certain of its debt securities (including the Offered Securities)
and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with
Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act").  Such registration statements have been declared effective
by the Commission.  As provided in Section 3(a), a prospectus
supplement reflecting the terms of the Offered Securities, the
terms of the offering thereof and the other matters set forth
therein will be prepared and filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the
1933 Act.  The preliminary prospectus supplement included in the
registration statements and such prospectus supplement, in the
form first filed after the date hereof pursuant to Rule 424, are
herein collectively referred to as the "Prospectus Supplement".
Such registration statements, including the exhibits thereto and
the documents incorporated by reference therein, as amended at
the time of execution of the applicable Pricing Agreement, are
herein collectively referred to as the "Registration Statement",
and the basic prospectus included therein relating to all
offerings of securities under the Registration Statement, as
supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is herein called the
"Prospectus", except that, if such basic prospectus is amended or
supplemented on or prior to the date on which the Prospectus
Supplement is first filed pursuant to Rule 424, the term
"Prospectus" shall refer to the basic prospectus as so amended or
supplemented and as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in
either case including the documents filed by the Company with the
Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "1934 Act"), that are incorporated by reference
therein.

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and
schedules and other information that is "disclosed," "contained,"
"included," "incorporated," "stated" or "given" in the Registra-
tion Statement or the Prospectus (or other references of like
import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial
statements and schedules and other information that are incorpo-
rated by reference in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus.

Section 1.   Representations and Warranties.
             ------------------------------

(a)  The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each
     Underwriter that:

     (i)  On the original effective date of each Registration
          Statement, on the effective date of the most recent
          post-effective amendment thereto, if any, and on the
          date of the filing by the Company of any annual report
          on Form 10-K after the original filing of each Regis-
          tration Statement, the Registration Statement complied
          in all material respects with the requirements of the
          1933 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commis-
          sion thereunder (the "1933 Act Regulations"), the Trust
          Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"), and
          the rules and regulations of the Commission under the
          1939 Act (the "1939 Act Regulations") and did not con-
          tain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
          state a material fact required to be stated therein or
          necessary to make the statements therein not
          misleading; on the date hereof, at the time of execu-
          tion of the applicable Pricing Agreement and at the
          Closing Time (as defined below), the Registration
          Statement, and any amendments thereof, and the
          Prospectus, and any amendments thereof and supplements
          thereto, comply and will comply in all material
          respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the
          1933 Act Regulations, the 1939 Act and the 1939 Act
          Regulations and none of such documents includes or will
          include an untrue statement of a material fact or omits
          or will omit to state any material fact required to be
          stated therein or necessary to make the statements
          therein not misleading; provided, however, that the
                                  --------  -------
          Company makes no representations or warranties as to
          statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in
          conformity with information furnished in writing to the
          Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter, directly or
          through you, expressly for use in the Registration
          Statement or the Prospectus.  At the Closing Time, the
          Designated Indenture (as defined below) will comply in
          all material respects with the requirements of the 1939
          Act and the 1939 Act Regulations.

    (ii)  The documents incorporated by reference in the
          Prospectus, at the time they were filed with the Com-
          mission, complied in all material respects with the
          requirements of the 1934 Act, and the rules and regu-
          lations of the Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act
          Regulations") and, when read together with the other
          information in the Prospectus, do not and will not, on
          the date hereof, at the time of execution of the
          applicable Pricing Agreement and at the Closing Time,
          include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit
          to state a material fact required to be stated therein
          or necessary to make the statements therein not
          misleading.

   (iii)  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have reported upon the
          audited financial statements and schedules of the Com-
          pany and its subsidiaries and of PEI (as defined below)
          and its subsidiaries that are included and incorporated
          by reference in the Registration Statement, are inde-
          pendent public accountants in respect of those reports
          as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regula-
          tions.  Arthur Andersen LLP, who have reported upon the
          audited financial statements and schedules of PEI and
          its subsidiaries that are included and incorporated by
          reference in the Registration Statement, are indepen-
          dent public accountants in respect of those reports as
          required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

    (iv)  This Agreement has been and, at the Closing Time, each
          applicable Pricing Agreement will have been, duly
          authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

     (v)  The consolidated financial statements included or
          incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
          present fairly (a) the consolidated financial position
          of (1) Pennsylvania Enterprises, Inc., a Pennsylvania
          corporation ("PEI"), and its subsidiaries and (2) the
          Company and its subsidiaries, in each case, as of the
          dates indicated and (b) the consolidated results of
          operations and the consolidated cash flows of (1) PEI
          and its subsidiaries and (2) the Company and its
          subsidiaries, in each such case, for the periods
          specified, subject, in the case of unaudited financial
          statements, to normal year-end adjustments which shall
          not be materially adverse to the business or financial
          condition or the earnings of (1) PEI and its subsidi-
          aries considered as one enterprise or (2) the Company
          and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, as
          the case may be.  Such financial statements have been
          prepared in conformity with generally accepted
          accounting principles applied on a consistent basis
          throughout the periods involved.  The financial state-
          ment schedules, if any, included in the Registration
          Statement present fairly the information required to be
          stated therein.  The selected financial data included
          or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus present
          fairly the information shown therein and have been com-
          piled on a basis consistent with that of the audited
          consolidated financial statements included or incorpo-
          rated by reference in the Registration Statement.  The
          Prospectus contains all pro forma financial statements
          and other pro forma financial information required to
          be included therein and such information presents
          fairly the information shown therein, have been pre-
          pared in accordance with the Commission's rules and
          guidelines with respect to pro forma financial state-
          ments, have been properly compiled on the pro forma
          bases described therein, and, in the opinion of the
          Company, the assumptions used in the preparation
          thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein
          are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or
          circumstances referred to therein.

    (vi)  The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly
          existing and in good standing under the laws of the
          State of Delaware with corporate power and authority
          under such laws to own, lease and operate its
          properties and conduct its business as described in the
          Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified to trans-
          act business as a foreign corporation and is in good
          standing in each other jurisdiction in which it owns or
          leases property of a nature, or transacts business of a
          type, that would make such qualification necessary,
          except to the extent that the failure to so qualify or
          be in good standing would not have a material adverse
          effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, considered
          as one enterprise.

   (vii)  The Company's only active subsidiaries are Atlantic Gas
          Corporation, ConTigo, Inc., Energia Estrella del Sur,
          S. A. de C. V. ("Energia"), KellAir Aviation Company,
          Lavaca Realty Company, Mercado Gas Services Inc.,
          Norteno Pipeline Company, Southern Transmission Com-
          pany, Southern Union Energy International, Inc.,
          Southern Union Financing I, Southern Union Inter-
          national Investments, Inc., Southern Union Total Energy
          Systems, Inc. and SUPro Energy Company (collectively,
          the "Subsidiaries").  Energia is not a "significant
          subsidiary" as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation
          S-X under the 1933 Act.  Each Subsidiary is a corpora-
          tion duly organized, validly existing and in good
          standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
          incorporation with corporate power and authority under
          such laws to own, lease and operate its properties and
          conduct its business; and each Subsidiary is duly
          qualified to transact business as a foreign corporation
          and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in
          which it owns or leases property of a nature, or trans-
          acts business of a type, that would make such qualifi-
          cation necessary, except to the extent that the failure
          to so qualify or be in good standing would not have a
          material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidi-
          aries, considered as one enterprise.  All of the out-
          standing shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary
          have been duly authorized and validly issued and are
          fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the
          Company free and clear of any pledge, lien, security
          interest, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any
          kind.

  (viii)  The Indenture, each supplement thereto, if any, to the
          date hereof and the supplement thereto or board resolu-
          tion and officers' certificate setting forth the terms
          of the Offered Securities (the Indenture, as so supple-
          mented by such supplement or supplements or board
          resolution and officers' certificate, being herein
          referred to as the "Designated Indenture"), have been
          duly authorized by the Company.  The Indenture as exe-
          cuted is in the form filed as an exhibit to the Regis-
          tration Statement.  The Designated Indenture, when duly
          executed and delivered (to the extent required by the
          Indenture) by the Company and the Trustee, will consti-
          tute a valid and binding obligation of the Company,
          enforceable against the Company in accordance with its
          terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by
          bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation,
          all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganiza-
          tion, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement
          of creditors' rights generally and except as enforce-
          ment thereof is subject to general principles of equity
          (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a
          proceeding in equity or at law); and the Designated
          Indenture conforms to the description thereof in the
          Prospectus and has been duly qualified under the 1939
          Act.

    (ix)  The Offered Securities have been duly authorized by the
          Company.  When executed, authenticated, issued and
          delivered in the manner provided for in the Designated
          Indenture and sold and paid for as provided herein and
          in any applicable Pricing Agreement or in any Delayed
          Delivery Contracts (as defined below), the Offered
          Securities will constitute valid and binding obliga-
          tions of the Company entitled to the benefits of the
          Designated Indenture and enforceable against the Com-
          pany in accordance with their terms, except as enforce-
          ment thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency
          (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
          fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
          similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights
          generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject
          to general principles of equity (regardless of whether
          enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or
          at law); and the Offered Securities conform to the
          description thereof in the Prospectus.

     (x)  In the event that any of the Offered Securities are
          purchased pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts, each
          of such Delayed Delivery Contracts has been duly autho-
          rized by the Company and, when executed and delivered
          on behalf of the Company and duly authorized, executed
          and delivered on behalf of the purchaser thereunder,
          will constitute a valid and binding obligation of the
          Company enforceable against the Company in accordance
          with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be
          limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without
          limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers),
          reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting
          enforcement of creditors' rights generally and except
          as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles
          of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is con-
          sidered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

    (xi)  All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
          Company have been duly authorized and validly issued
          and are fully paid and non-assessable; no holder
          thereof is or will be subject to personal liability by
          reason of being such a holder; and none of the out-
          standing shares of capital stock of the Company was
          issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any
          stockholder of the Company.

   (xii)  Since the respective dates as of which information is
          given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
          except as otherwise stated therein or contemplated
          thereby, there has not been (A) any material adverse
          change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
          earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
          Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enter-
          prise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
          business, or (B) any transaction entered into by the
          Company or any subsidiary, other than in the ordinary
          course of business, that is material to the Company and
          its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

  (xiii)  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default in
          the performance or observance of any obligation, agree-
          ment, covenant or condition contained in any contract,
          indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or
          other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or
          by which it may be bound or to which any of its
          properties may be subject, except for such defaults
          that would not have a material adverse effect on the
          condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business
          affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
          subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.  The execu-
          tion and delivery by the Company of this Agreement,
          each applicable Pricing Agreement, the Designated In-
          denture and any Delayed Delivery Contracts, the
          issuance and delivery of the Offered Securities, the
          consummation by the Company of the transactions con-
          templated herein and in the Registration Statement and
          compliance by the Company with the terms of this Agree-
          ment, each applicable Pricing Agreement, the Designated
          Indenture and any Delayed Delivery Contracts, have been
          duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on
          the part of the Company and do not and will not result
          in any violation of the charter or by-laws of the Com-
          pany or any Subsidiary, and do not and will not con-
          flict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms
          or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or
          result in the creation or imposition of any lien,
          charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of
          the Company or any Subsidiary under (A) any contract,
          indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or
          other agreement or instrument to which the Company or
          any Subsidiary is a party or by which it may be bound
          or to which any of its properties may be subject (ex-
          cept for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens,
          charges or encumbrances that would not have a material
          adverse effect on the condition (financial or other-
          wise), earnings, business affairs or business prospects
          of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
          enterprise) or (B) any existing applicable law, rule,
          regulation, judgment, order or decree of any govern-
          ment, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic
          or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative
          agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction
          over the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their
          respective properties.

   (xiv)  No authorization, approval, consent or license of any
          government, governmental instrumentality or court,
          domestic or foreign (other than under the 1933 Act, the
          1939 Act, and the securities or blue sky laws of the
          various states), is required for the valid authoriza-
          tion, issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered
          Securities or for the execution, delivery or per-
          formance of the Designated Indenture by the Company,
          except those authorizations, approvals, consents or
          licenses described in the Prospectus and which have
          been received, granted or waived prior to the sale and
          delivery of the Offered Securities.

    (xv)  Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there is no
          action, suit or proceeding before or by any government,
          governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or
          foreign, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Com-
          pany, threatened against or affecting the Company or
          any Subsidiary that is required to be disclosed in the
          Prospectus or that could result in any material adverse
          change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
          earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
          Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enter-
          prise, or that could materially and adversely affect
          the properties or assets of the Company and its sub-
          sidiaries, considered as one enterprise, or that could
          adversely affect the consummation of the transactions
          contemplated in this Agreement or any applicable
          Pricing Agreement; the aggregate of all pending legal
          or governmental proceedings that are not described in
          the Prospectus to which the Company or any Subsidiary
          is a party or which affect any of their respective
          properties, including ordinary routine litigation inci-
          dental to the business of the Company or any Subsidi-
          ary, would not have a material adverse effect on the
          condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business
          affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
          subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise.

   (xvi)  There are no contracts or documents of a character
          required to be described in the Registration Statement
          or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
          Registration Statement that are not described and filed
          as required.

  (xvii)  The Company has delivered to you a true and complete
          copy of the Agreement of Merger by and between the Com-
          pany and PEI, dated as of June 7, 1999, and the related
          attachments and exhibits (the "PEI Agreements"), which
          provide for the Company's acquisition of PEI by way of
          merger (the "PEI Merger").  The Company is not in
          default under the terms of such PEI Agreements and, to
          the Company's knowledge, PEI is not in default under
          the terms of such PEI Agreements in any respect that is
          reasonably likely to result in the Company's failure to
          consummate the acquisition contemplated by the PEI
          Agreements on or before the close of business on the
          seventh business day after the date of this Agreement;
          all of the material conditions to which the PEI Merger
          is subject have been, or prior to the Closing Time will
          have been, fulfilled (including those relating to the
          requisite stockholder approvals and applicable regula-
          tory authorizations), and the Company is unaware of any
          fact, circumstance or development, or lack of any of
          the foregoing, that is reasonably likely to result in
          the PEI Merger not being consummated in such time
          frame.

 (xviii)  The Company has the requisite power and authority to
          enter into the PEI Agreements and perform its obliga-
          tions thereunder.  The execution, delivery and per-
          formance of the PEI Agreements by the Company have been
          duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on
          the part of the Company.  The PEI Agreements have been
          duly executed and delivered by the Company, are in full
          force and effect and constitute the valid and binding
          obligations of the parties thereto enforceable in
          accordance with their terms, except as enforcement
          thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency
          (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
          fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
          similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights
          generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject
          to general principles of equity (regardless of whether
          enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or
          at law).  None of the PEI Agreements has been amended
          or modified in any material respect.

   (xix)  Except as contemplated by or otherwise disclosed in the
          PEI Agreements:

          (A)  the execution and delivery by the Company of the
               PEI Agreements and the consummation by the Company
               of the transactions contemplated thereby do not
               and will not result in any violation of the
               charter or by-laws of the Company or any Sub-
               sidiary, and do not and will not conflict with, or
               result in a breach of any of the terms or provi-
               sions of, or constitute a default under, or result
               in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge
               or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the
               Company or any Subsidiary under (1) any contract,
               indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease
               or other agreement or instrument to which the
               Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which
               it may be bound or to which any of its properties
               may be subject or (2) any existing applicable law,
               rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any
               government, governmental instrumentality or court,
               domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or
               administrative agency or other governmental body
               having jurisdiction over the Company or any Sub-
               sidiary or any of their respective properties; and

          (B)  no authorization, approval, consent, license
               order, certificate or permit of or from, or decla-
               ration of filing with, any government, governmen-
               tal instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign,
               and no consent, approval or waiver of any party to
               any agreement to which the Company or any Sub-
               sidiary is subject, is required for the execution
               and delivery of the PEI Agreements or the consum-
               mation of the transactions contemplated thereby.

    (xx)  No action or proceeding has been instituted or
          threatened before or by any government, government
          instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, to
          restrict or prohibit any of the transactions con-
          templated by the PEI Agreements.

   (xxi)  The Company and the Subsidiaries each has good and mar-
          ketable title to all properties and assets described in
          the Prospectus (including the documents incorporated by
          reference therein) as owned by it, free and clear of
          all liens, charges, encumbrances or restrictions, ex-
          cept such as (A) are described in the Prospectus (in-
          cluding the documents incorporated by reference
          therein) or (B) are neither material in amount nor
          materially significant in relation to the business of
          the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
          enterprise; all of the leases and subleases material to
          the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, con-
          sidered as one enterprise, and under which the Company
          or any Subsidiary holds properties described in the
          Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither
          the Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any
          material claim of any sort that has been asserted by
          anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Sub-
          sidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned
          above, or affecting or questioning the rights of such
          corporation to the continued possession of the leased
          or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

  (xxii)  The Company and the Subsidiaries each owns, possesses
          or has obtained all material licenses, franchises, per-
          mits, certificates, consents, orders, approvals and
          other authorizations issued by the appropriate state,
          federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies neces-
          sary to own or lease, as the case may be, and to
          operate its properties and to carry on its business as
          presently conducted, and neither the Company nor any
          Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings
          relating to revocation or modification of any such
          licenses, franchises, permits, certificates, consents,
          orders, approvals or authorizations.

 (xxiii)  The Company and the Subsidiaries each owns or
          possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate
          patents, patent licenses, trademarks, service marks and
          trade names necessary to carry on its business as
          presently conducted, and neither the Company nor any
          Subsidiary has received any notice of infringement of
          or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect
          to any patents, patent licenses, trademarks, service
          marks or trade names that in the aggregate, if the
          subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding,
          could materially adversely affect the condition
          (financial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or
          business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries,
          considered as one enterprise.

  (xxiv)  To the best knowledge of the Company, no labor problem
          exists with its employees or with employees of the Sub-
          sidiaries or is imminent that could adversely affect
          the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
          enterprise, and the Company is not aware of any
          existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees
          of any of its or the Subsidiaries' principal suppliers,
          contractors or customers that could be expected to
          materially adversely affect the condition (financial or
          otherwise), earnings, business affairs or business
          prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, con-
          sidered as one enterprise.

   (xxv)  The Company has not taken and will not take, directly
          or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might be
          reasonably expected to, cause or result in stabiliza-
          tion or manipulation of the price of the Offered
          Securities.

  (xxvi)  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and
          except as would not individually or in the aggregate
          have a material adverse effect on the condition (finan-
          cial or otherwise), earnings, business affairs or busi-
          ness prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries,
          considered as one enterprise, (A) the Company and the
          Subsidiaries are each in compliance with all applicable
          Environmental Laws, (B) the Company and the Subsidi-
          aries have all permits, authorizations and approvals
          required under any applicable Environmental Laws and
          are each in compliance with their requirements, (C)
          there are no pending or threatened Environmental Claims
          against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, and (D)
          there are no circumstances with respect to any property
          or operations of the Company or the Subsidiaries that
          could reasonably be anticipated to form the basis of an
          Environmental Claim against the Company or the
          Subsidiaries.

          For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms
          shall have the following meanings:  "Environmental Law"
          means any United States (or other applicable jurisdic-
          tion's) federal, state, local or municipal statute,
          law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule
          of common law and any judicial or administrative inter-
          pretation thereof including any judicial or administra-
          tive order, consent decree or judgment, relating to the
          environment, health, safety or any chemical, material
          or substance, exposure to which is prohibited, limited
          or regulated by any governmental authority.  "Environ-
          mental Claims" means any and all administrative, regu-
          latory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand
          letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or
          violation, investigations or proceedings relating in
          any way to any Environmental Law.

 (xxvii)  The Company, through its operating divisions Southern
          Union Gas, Missouri Gas Energy and South Florida
          Natural Gas, provides gas distribution utility services
          which are subject to regulation by the Railroad Commis-
          sion of the State of Texas, the Missouri Public Service
          Commission, the Florida Public Service Commission, and
          with respect to rates and certain other matters, by
          various municipalities served by the Company.  The Com-
          pany is also subject to regulation by the Federal
          Department of Transportation with respect to pipeline
          safety.  The Company's operations are not subject to
          regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission
          under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935,
          as amended ("PUCHA").  Except with respect to the
          transportation of gas on a no-fee exchange basis which
          is the subject of a limited jurisdiction certificate
          granted on January 12, 1994 (Docket No. CP93-750-000)
          and the operation of the Company's subsidiary, Norteno
          Pipeline Company, the Company's operations are not sub-
          ject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regula-
          tory Commission, the Federal Energy Administration, or,
          except as set forth above, any other regulatory autho-
          rity having jurisdiction over utilities or utility
          related matters.

(xxviii)  The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all
          material federal, state and local tax returns and other
          reports which have been required to be filed and have
          paid all taxes and fees indicated by said returns and
          reports and franchise reports and all assessments
          received by them or any of them to the extent that such
          taxes and/or fees have become due, except where being
          contested in good faith and for which the Company has
          established adequate reserves.

(b)  Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any
     Subsidiary and delivered to you or to counsel for the Under-
     writers in connection with the offering of the Offered
     Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by
     the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered
     thereby.

Section 2.   Purchase and Sale.
             -----------------

(a)  On the basis of the representations and warranties contained
     herein and in the applicable Pricing Agreement, and subject
     to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the
     applicable Pricing Agreement, the Company agrees to sell to
     each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and
     not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase
     price to the Underwriters set forth in the applicable
     Pricing Agreement, the principal amount of Offered Securi-
     ties set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
     Schedule I thereto.

(b)  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the
     Offered Securities shall be made at the date, time and
     location specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement, or
     at such other date, time or location as shall be agreed upon
     by the Company and you, or as shall otherwise be provided in
     Section 10 (such date and time of payment and delivery with
     respect to such Pricing Agreement being herein called the
     "Closing Time").  Unless otherwise specified in the applica-
     ble Pricing Agreement, payment shall be made to the Company
     by you hereunder by wire transfer of immediately available
     funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against
     delivery to you for the respective accounts of the several
     Underwriters of the Offered Securities.  Such Offered Secur-
     ities shall be in such authorized denominations and regis-
     tered in such names as you may request in writing at least
     two full business days before the Closing Time.  Such
     Offered Securities, which may be in temporary form, will be
     made available in New York City for examination and
     packaging by you not later than 10:00 A.M. on the business
     day prior to the Closing Time.

(c)  If specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement, the Under-
     writers may solicit offers to purchase Offered Securities
     from the Company pursuant to delayed delivery contracts
     ("Delayed Delivery Contracts") substantially in the form of
     Annex II with such changes therein as the Company may
     approve.  Any Delayed Delivery Contracts are to be with
     institutional investors of the types set forth in the
     Prospectus.  At the Closing Time, the Company will enter
     into Delayed Delivery Contracts (for the minimum principal
     amount of Offered Securities per Delayed Delivery Contract
     specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement) with all
     purchasers proposed by the Underwriters and previously
     approved by the Company as provided below, but not for an
     aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities less than
     or greater than the minimum and maximum aggregate principal
     amounts specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement.  The
     Underwriters will not have any responsibility for the
     validity or performance of Delayed Delivery Contracts.

(d)  You are to submit to the Company, at least three business
     days prior to the Closing Time, the names of any institu-
     tional investors with which it is proposed that the Company
     enter into Delayed Delivery Contracts, the principal amount
     of Offered Securities to be purchased by each of them and
     the date of delivery thereof, and the Company will advise
     you, at least two business days prior to the Closing Time,
     of the names of the institutions with which the making of
     Delayed Delivery Contracts is approved by the Company and
     the principal amount of Offered Securities to be covered by
     each such Delayed Delivery Contract.

(e)  As compensation for arranging Delayed Delivery Contracts,
     the Company will pay (by certified or official bank check in
     New York Clearing House funds) to you at the Closing Time,
     for the accounts of the Underwriters, a fee equal to that
     percentage of the principal amount of Offered Securities for
     which Delayed Delivery Contracts are made at the Closing
     Time as is specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement or
     the amount of such fee may be deducted from the check
     delivered pursuant to Section 2(b).

(f)  The principal amount of Offered Securities agreed to be pur-
     chased by each Underwriter shall be reduced by the principal
     amount of Offered Securities covered by Delayed Delivery
     Contracts, as to such Underwriter as set forth in a notice
     delivered by you to the Company; provided, however, that the
                                      --------  -------
     total principal amount of Offered Securities to be purchased
     by all Underwriters shall be the principal amount of Offered
     Securities covered by this Agreement, less the principal
     amount of Offered Securities covered by all Delayed Delivery
     Contracts.

Section 3.   Certain Covenants of the Company.  The Company
             --------------------------------
covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a)  If reasonably requested by you in connection with the
     offering of the Offered Securities, the Company will prepare
     a preliminary prospectus supplement containing such informa-
     tion as you and the Company deem appropriate, and, immedi-
     ately following the execution of the applicable Pricing
     Agreement, the Company will prepare a Prospectus Supplement
     that complies with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations
     and that sets forth the principal amount of the Offered
     Securities and their terms not otherwise specified in the
     Indenture, the name of each Underwriter participating in the
     offering and the principal amount of the Offered Securities
     that each severally has agreed to purchase, the name of each
     Underwriter, if any, acting as representative of the Under-
     writers in connection with the offering, the price at which
     the Offered Securities are to be purchased by the Under-
     writers from the Company, any initial public offering price,
     any selling concession and reallowance and any delayed
     delivery arrangements, and such other information as you and
     the Company deem appropriate in connection with the offering
     of the Offered Securities.  The Company will promptly trans-
     mit copies of the Prospectus Supplement to the Commission
     for filing pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act and will
     furnish to the Underwriters as many copies of any prelimi-
     nary prospectus supplement and the Prospectus as you shall
     reasonably request.

(b)  If at any time when the Prospectus is required by the 1933
     Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Offered
     Securities any event shall occur or condition exist as a
     result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel
     for the Underwriters or counsel for the Company, to amend
     the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the
     Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an
     untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
     material fact necessary in order to make the statements
     therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances
     existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if
     it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such
     counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration State-
     ment or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to com-
     ply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
     Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with
     the Commission, subject to Section 3(d), such amendment or
     supplement as may be necessary to correct such untrue state-
     ment or omission or to make the Registration Statement or
     the Prospectus comply with such requirements.

(c)  During the period when the Prospectus is required by the
     1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the
     Offered Securities, the Company will, subject to Section
     3(d), file promptly all documents required to be filed with
     the Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the
     1934 Act.

(d)  During the period when the Prospectus is required by the
     1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the
     Offered Securities, the Company will inform you of its
     intention to file any amendment to the Registration State-
     ment, any supplement to the Prospectus or any document that
     would as a result thereof be incorporated by reference in
     the Prospectus; will furnish you with copies of any such
     amendment, supplement or other document a reasonable time in
     advance of filing; and will not file any such amendment,
     supplement or other document in a form to which you or your
     counsel shall reasonably object.

(e)  During the period when the Prospectus is required by the
     1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the
     Offered Securities, the Company will notify you immediately,
     and confirm the notice in writing, (i) of the effectiveness
     of any amendment to the Registration Statement, (ii) of the
     mailing or the delivery to the Commission for filing of any
     supplement to the Prospectus or any document that would as a
     result thereof be incorporated by reference in the
     Prospectus, (iii) of the receipt of any comments from the
     Commission with respect to the Registration Statement, the
     Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, (iv) of any request
     by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration
     Statement or any supplement to the Prospectus or for addi-
     tional information relating thereto or to any document
     incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and (v) of the
     issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
     effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspen-
     sion of the qualification of the Offered Securities for
     offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the institution
     or threatening of any proceeding for any of such purposes.
     The Company will use every reasonable effort to prevent the
     issuance of any such stop order or of any order suspending
     such qualification and, if any such order is issued, to
     obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(f)  The Company has furnished or will furnish to you as many
     signed copies of the Registration Statement (as originally
     filed) and of all amendments thereto, whether filed before
     or after the Registration Statement became effective, copies
     of all exhibits and documents filed therewith or incorpo-
     rated by reference therein (through the end of the period
     when the Prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be de-
     livered in connection with sales of the Offered Securities)
     and signed copies of all consents and certificates of
     experts, as you may reasonably request, and has furnished or
     will furnish to you, for each of the Underwriters, one con-
     formed copy of the Registration Statement (as originally
     filed) and of each amendment thereto (including documents
     incorporated by reference into the Prospectus but without
     exhibits).

(g)  The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with
     the Underwriters, to qualify the Offered Securities for
     offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of
     such states and other jurisdictions as you may designate and
     to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of
     not less than one year from the date hereof; provided,
                                                  --------
     however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any
     -------
     general consent to service of process or to qualify as a
     foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any
     jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject
     itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any
     jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.  The
     Company will file such statements and reports as may be
     required by the laws of each jurisdiction in which the
     Offered Securities have been qualified as above provided.
     The Company will also supply you with such information as is
     necessary for the determination of the legality of the
     Offered Securities for investment under the laws of such
     jurisdictions as you may request.

(h)  The Company will make generally available to its security
     holders as soon as practicable, but not later than 45 days
     after the close of the period covered thereby, an earning
     statement of the Company (in form complying with the provi-
     sions of Rule 158 of the 1933 Act Regulations), covering (i)
     a period of 12 months beginning after the effective date of
     the Registration Statement and covering a period of 12
     months beginning after the effective date of any post-
     effective amendment to the Registration Statement but not
     later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter
     next following such respective effective dates and (ii) a
     period of 12 months beginning after the date of this
     Agreement but not later than the first day of the Company's
     fiscal quarter next following the date of this Agreement.

(i)  If and to the extent specified in the applicable Pricing
     Agreement, the Company will use its best efforts to cause
     the Offered Securities to be duly authorized for listing on
     the New York Stock Exchange and to be registered under the
     1934 Act.

(j)  For a period of five years after the Closing Time, the Com-
     pany will furnish to you and, upon request, to each Under-
     writer, copies of all annual reports, quarterly reports and
     current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K,
     l0-Q and 8-K, or such other similar forms as may be desig-
     nated by the Commission, and such other documents, reports
     and information as shall be furnished by the Company to its
     stockholders or security holders generally.

(k)  Between the date of the applicable Pricing Agreement and the
     Closing Time or such other date as may be specified in such
     Pricing Agreement, the Company will not, without your prior
     consent, offer or sell, or enter into any agreement to sell,
     any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company with
     a maturity of more than one year in any public offering
     (other than the Offered Securities and excluding the trans-
     actions contemplated by the Solicitation Agent Agreement,
     dated as of October 8, 1999, among Merrill Lynch, the Com-
     pany and PEI).  This limitation is not applicable to the
     public offering of tax exempt securities guaranteed by the
     Company or to such other public offering of long-term debt
     as may be specified in Schedule II.

(l)  The Company has complied and will comply with all the provi-
     sions of Florida H.B. 1771, codified as Section 517.075 of
     the Florida statutes, and all regulations promulgated there-
     under relating to issuers doing business in Cuba.

Section 4.   Payment of Expenses.  The Company will pay and bear
             -------------------
all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obliga-
tions under this Agreement, including (a) the preparation,
printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits), as originally filed and as
amended, any preliminary prospectus supplements and the
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the
cost of furnishing copies thereof to the Underwriters, (b) the
preparation, printing and distribution of this Agreement, the
Designated Indenture, the Offered Securities, any Pricing Agree-
ment, any Delayed Delivery Contracts, the blue sky survey, if
any, and any legal investment survey, if applicable, (c) the
delivery of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters, (d) the
fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants,
(e) the qualification of the Offered Securities under the appli-
cable securities laws in accordance with Section 3(g) and any
filing for review of the offering with the National Association
of Securities Dealers, Inc., including filing fees and fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
therewith and in connection with the blue sky survey, if any, and
any legal investment survey, if applicable, (f) any fees charged
by rating agencies for rating the Offered Securities, (g) any
listing fees and expenses incurred in connection with listing the
Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and (h) the
fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and dis-
bursements of counsel for the Trustee, in connection with the
Designated Indenture and the Offered Securities.

If this Agreement is terminated by you in accordance with the
provisions of Section 5 or 9(a)(i), the Company shall reimburse
the Underwriters for all their out-of-pocket expenses, including
the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

Section 5.   Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations.   Except as
             ---------------------------------------
otherwise provided in the Pricing Agreement, the obligations of
the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities
pursuant to this Agreement are subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or
in certificates of any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary
delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder, and to the following
further conditions:

(a)  At the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effective-
     ness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued
     under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall
     have been instituted or shall be pending or, to your
     knowledge or the knowledge of the Company, shall be contem-
     plated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the
     Commission for additional information shall have been com-
     plied with to the satisfaction of counsel for the Under-
     writers.

(b)  At the Closing Time, you shall have received a signed
     opinion of Fleischman and Walsh, L.L.P., counsel for the
     Company, dated as of the Closing Time, together with signed
     or reproduced copies of such opinion for each of the other
     Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel
     for the Underwriters, to the effect that:

     (i)     The Company is a corporation duly incorporated,
             validly existing and in good standing under the laws
             of the State of Delaware with corporate power and
             authority under such laws to own, lease and operate
             its properties and conduct its business as described
             in the Prospectus.

     (ii)    The Company is duly qualified to transact business
             as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in
             each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases
             property of a nature, or transacts business of a
             type, that would make such qualification necessary,
             except to the extent that the failure to so qualify
             or be in good standing would not have a material
             adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
             considered as one enterprise.

     (iii)   Each Subsidiary (other than Energia) is a corpora-
             tion duly incorporated, validly existing and in good
             standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
             incorporation with corporate power and authority
             under such laws to own, lease and operate its
             properties and conduct its business.

     (iv)    Each Subsidiary (other than Energia) is duly quali-
             fied to transact business as a foreign corporation
             and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction
             in which it owns or leases property of a nature, or
             transacts business of a type, that would make such
             qualification necessary, except to the extent that
             the failure to so qualify or be in good standing
             would not have a material adverse effect on the
             Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one
             enterprise.

     (v)     All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
             the Company have been duly authorized and validly
             issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and no
             holder thereof is or will be subject to personal
             liability by reason of being such a holder; and none
             of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
             Company was issued in violation of the preemptive
             rights of any stockholder of the Company.

     (vi)    All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
             each Subsidiary (other than Energia) have been duly
             authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and
             non-assessable; all of such shares are owned by the
             Company free and clear of any pledge, lien, security
             interest, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of
             any kind; no holder thereof is subject to personal
             liability by reason of being such a holder and none
             of such shares was issued in violation of the pre-
             emptive rights of any stockholder of the Subsidi-
             aries (other than Energia).

     (vii)   The Designated Indenture has been duly authorized,
             executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
             the due authorization, execution and delivery by the
             Trustee, constitutes a valid and binding obligation
             of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
             accordance with its terms, except as enforcement
             thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency
             (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
             fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
             similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors'
             rights generally and except as enforcement thereof
             is subject to general principles of equity (regard-
             less of whether enforcement is considered in a pro-
             ceeding in equity or at law).

     (viii)  The Offered Securities have been duly authorized by
             the Company and, assuming that the Offered Securi-
             ties have been duly authenticated by the Trustee in
             the manner described in its certificate delivered to
             you today (which fact such counsel need not deter-
             mine by an inspection of the Offered Securities),
             the Offered Securities have been duly executed,
             issued and delivered by the Company and constitute
             or, in the case of Offered Securities, if any, to be
             delivered pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts,
             when duly executed and authenticated as provided in
             the Designated Indenture and issued, delivered and
             paid for in accordance with such Delayed Delivery
             Contracts, will constitute, valid and binding obli-
             gations of the Company entitled to the benefits of
             the Designated Indenture and enforceable against the
             Company in accordance with their terms, except as
             enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
             insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws
             relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization,
             moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of
             creditors' rights generally and except as enforce-
             ment thereof is subject to general principles of
             equity (regardless of whether enforcement is con-
             sidered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

     (ix)    In the event that any of the Offered Securities are
             to be purchased pursuant to Delayed Delivery Con-
             tracts, each Delayed Delivery Contract that has been
             executed by the Company has been duly authorized,
             executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
             the due authorization, execution and delivery by the
             purchaser thereunder, is a valid and binding obliga-
             tion of the Company enforceable against the Company
             in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement
             thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency
             (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
             fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
             similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors'
             rights generally and except as enforcement thereof
             is subject to general principles of equity (regard-
             less of whether enforcement is considered in a pro-
             ceeding in equity or at law).

     (x)     The Designated Indenture has been duly qualified
             under the 1939 Act.

     (xi)    The Offered Securities and the Designated Indenture
             conform in all material respects as to legal matters
             to the descriptions thereof in the Prospectus.

     (xii)   This Agreement and each applicable Pricing Agreement
             has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by
             the Company.

     (xiii)  No authorization, approval, consent or license of
             any government, governmental instrumentality or
             court, domestic or foreign, or regulatory authority
             (other than under the 1933 Act, the 1939 Act, and
             the securities or blue sky laws of the various
             states), is required for the valid authorization,
             issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Securi-
             ties, except for those authorizations, approvals,
             consents or licenses that have been obtained prior
             to the date hereof and copies of which have been
             provided to you.

     (xiv)   Such counsel does not know of any statutes or regu-
             lations, or any pending or threatened legal or
             governmental proceedings, required to be described
             in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that
             are not described as required, nor of any contracts
             or documents of a character required to be described
             or referred to in the Registration Statement or the
             Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Regis-
             tration Statement that are not described, referred
             to or filed as required.

     (xv)    The descriptions contained in the Prospectus of the
             statutes, regulations, legal or governmental pro-
             ceedings, contracts and other documents therein
             described are accurate and fairly summarize the
             information required to be shown.

     (xvi)   To the knowledge of such counsel, no default exists
             in the performance or observance of any material
             obligation, agreement, covenant or condition con-
             tained in any contract, indenture, loan agreement,
             note, lease or other agreement or instrument that is
             described or referred to in the Registration State-
             ment or the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the
             Registration Statement.

     (xvii)  The execution and delivery by the Company of this
             Agreement, each applicable Pricing Agreement, the
             Designated Indenture and any Delayed Delivery Con-
             tracts, the issuance and delivery of the Offered
             Securities, the consummation by the Company of the
             transactions contemplated herein and in the Regis-
             tration Statement and compliance by the Company with
             the terms of this Agreement, each applicable Pricing
             Agreement and the Designated Indenture do not and
             will not result in any violation of the charter or
             by-laws of the Company or any Subsidiary (other than
             Energia), and do not and will not conflict with, or
             result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions
             of, or constitute a default under, or result in the
             creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encum-
             brance upon any property or assets of the Company or
             any Subsidiary (other than Energia) under (A) any
             contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note,
             lease or any other agreement or instrument known to
             such counsel, to which the Company or any Subsidiary
             (other than Energia) is a party or by which it may
             be bound or to which any of its properties may be
             subject (except for such conflicts, breaches or
             defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that
             would not have a material adverse effect on the
             condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, busi-
             ness affairs or business prospects of the Company
             and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise),
             (B) any existing applicable law, rule or regulation
             (other than the securities or blue sky laws of the
             various states, as to which such counsel need
             express no opinion), or (C) any judgment, order or
             decree of any government, governmental instru-
             mentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any
             regulatory body or administrative agency or other
             governmental body having jurisdiction over the
             Company or any Subsidiary (other than Energia) or
             any of their respective properties.

     (xviii) The Registration Statement became effective under
             the 1933 Act and, to the best of such counsel's
             knowledge, the Registration Statement is still
             effective, no stop order suspending the effective-
             ness of the Registration Statement has been issued
             and no proceedings for that purpose have been
             instituted or are pending or are contemplated under
             the 1933 Act.

     (xix)   The Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
             excluding the documents incorporated by reference
             therein, and each amendment or supplement thereto
             (except for the financial statements and other
             financial or statistical data included therein or
             omitted therefrom, as to which such counsel need
             express no opinion), as of their respective
             effective or issue dates, appear on their face to
             have been appropriately responsive in all material
             respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the
             1933 Act Regulations, and the Designated Indenture
             and the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on
             Form T-1 filed with the Commission as part of the
             Registration Statement appear on their face to have
             been appropriately responsive in all material
             respects to the requirements of the 1939 Act and the
             1939 Act Regulations.

     (xx)    The documents incorporated by reference in the
             Prospectus (except for the financial statements and
             other financial or statistical data included therein
             or omitted therefrom, as to which such counsel need
             express no opinion), as of the dates they were filed
             with the Commission, appear on their face to have
             been appropriately responsive in all material
             respects to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the
             1934 Act Regulations.

     (xxi)   The Company is not a "holding company" or an
             "affiliate" or "subsidiary company" of a "registered
             holding company" within the meaning of the Public
             Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.


     (xxii)  The Company and the Subsidiaries (other than
             Energia) each owns, possesses or has obtained all
             material licenses, franchises, permits, certifi-
             cates, consents, orders, approvals and other
             authorizations issued by the appropriate local,
             state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or
             bodies necessary both to own or lease, as the case
             may be, and to operate its properties and to carry
             on its business as described in the Registration
             Statement, and such licenses, franchises, permits,
             certificates, consents, orders, approvals and other
             authorizations are in full force and effect.

     Such counsel shall also state that they have participated in
     the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus and are familiar with or have participated in the
     preparation of the documents incorporated by reference
     therein and, although such counsel does not undertake to
     determine independently or pass on or assume responsibility
     for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
     contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (ex-
     cept as set forth in paragraphs (xi) and (xv)), no facts
     have come to the attention of such counsel to lead them to
     believe (A) that the Registration Statement or any amendment
     thereto (except for the financial statements and other
     financial or statistical data included therein or omitted
     therefrom and the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on
     Form T-l, as to which such counsel need express no opinion),
     on the original effective date of the Registration State-
     ment, on the effective date of the most recent post-
     effective amendment thereto, if any, on the date of the
     filing of any annual report on Form 10-K after the filing of
     the Registration Statement or on the date of any applicable
     Pricing Agreement contained an untrue statement of a
     material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
     to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
     therein not misleading, (B) that the Prospectus or any
     amendment or supplement thereto (except for the financial
     statements and other financial or statistical data included
     therein or omitted therefrom, as to which such counsel need
     express no opinion), at the time the Prospectus Supplement
     was issued, at the time any such amended or supplemented
     Prospectus was issued or at the Closing Time, included or
     includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
     or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make
     the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
     under which they were made, not misleading or (C) that the
     documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
     (except for the financial statements and other financial or
     statistical data included therein or omitted therefrom, as
     to which such counsel need express no opinion), as of the
     dates they were filed with the Commission, contained an
     untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any
     material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
     make the statements therein not misleading.


     Such opinion shall be to such further effect with respect to
     other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the sale
     of the Offered Securities hereunder as counsel for the
     Underwriters may reasonably request.  In giving such
     opinion, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed
     by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the Dis-
     trict of Columbia, the federal law of the United States and
     the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon
     opinions of other counsel, who shall be counsel satisfactory
     to counsel for the Underwriters, in which case the opinion
     shall state that they believe you and they are entitled to
     so rely.  In rendering the opinions required by paragraphs
     (vii), (viii) and (ix), such counsel may assume that the
     laws of the State of New York are in effect substantially
     identical to the laws of the District of Columbia with
     respect to the matters covered by such opinions.  Such
     counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion
     involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent
     they deem proper, upon representations of officers of the
     Company and certificates of public officials; provided that
     any such certificates have been delivered to the Under-
     writers.

(c)  At the Closing Time, you shall have received the favorable
     opinion of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, counsel for the
     Underwriters, dated as of the Closing Time, together with
     signed or reproduced copies of such opinion for each of the
     other Underwriters, to the effect that the opinion delivered
     pursuant to Section 5(b) appears on its face to be approxi-
     ately responsive to the requirements of this Agreement
     except, specifying the same, to the extent waived by you,
     and with respect to the incorporation and legal existence of
     the Company, the Offered Securities, this Agreement, any
     applicable Pricing Agreement, the Designated Indenture, the
     Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the documents incor-
     porated by reference and such other related matters as you
     may require.  In giving such opinion such counsel may rely,
     as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions
     other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law
     of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the
     State of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory
     to you.  Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such
     opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the
     extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of
     the Company and certificates of public officials; provided
     that such certificates have been delivered to the
     Underwriters.

(d)  At the Closing Time, (i) the Registration Statement and the
     Prospectus, as they may then be amended or supplemented,
     shall contain all statements that are required to be stated
     therein under the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and
     in all material respects shall conform to the requirements
     of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1939
     Act and the 1939 Act Regulations, and neither the Registra-
     tion Statement nor the Prospectus, as they may then be
     amended or supplemented, shall contain an untrue statement
     of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required
     to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
     therein not misleading, (ii) there shall not have been,
     since the respective dates as of which information is given
     in the Registration Statement, any material adverse change
     in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, busi-
     ness affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
     subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or not
     arising in the ordinary course of business, (iii) no action,
     suit or proceeding shall be pending or, to the knowledge of
     the Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidi-
     ary that would be required to be set forth in the Prospectus
     other than as set forth therein and no proceedings shall be
     pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened
     against the Company or any Subsidiary before or by any
     government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic
     or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency
     or other governmental body that could result in any material
     adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
     earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
     Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise,
     other than as set forth in the Prospectus, (iv) the Company
     shall have complied with all agreements and satisfied all
     conditions on its part to be performed and satisfied at or
     prior to the Closing Time and (v) the other representations
     and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1(a)
     shall be accurate as though expressly made at and as of the
     Closing Time.  At the Closing Time, you shall have received
     a certificate of the President or a Vice President, and the
     Treasurer or Controller, of the Company, dated as of the
     Closing Time, to such effect.

(e)  At the time of execution of the applicable Pricing Agree-
     ment, you shall have received the "comfort" letters speci-
     fied in Sections A(l) and B(l) of Annex III hereto and, at
     the Closing Time, you shall have received the updates to
     those comfort letters specified in Sections A(2) and B(2)
     of Annex III hereto.

(f)  Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement
     and prior to the Closing Time, there shall not have been any
     downgrading, nor any notice given of any intended or poten-
     tial downgrading or of a possible change that does not indi-
     cate the direction of the possible change, in the rating
     accorded any of the Company's securities, including the
     Offered Securities, by any "nationally recognized statisti-
     cal rating organization," as such term is defined for pur-
     poses of Rule 436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act.

(g)  At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have
     been furnished with all such documents, certificates and
     opinions as they may request for the purpose of enabling
     them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered
     Securities as herein contemplated and the matters referred
     to in Section 5(c) and in order to evidence the accuracy and
     completeness of any of the representations, warranties or
     statements of the Company, the performance of any of the
     covenants of the Company, or the fulfillment of any of the
     conditions herein contained; and all proceedings taken by
     the Company at or prior to the Closing Time in connection
     with the authorization, issuance and sale of the Offered
     Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in
     form and substance to the Underwriters and to counsel for
     the Underwriters.

(h)  If the Offered Securities are to be listed pursuant to the
     applicable Pricing Agreement, the Offered Securities shall
     have been duly authorized for listing by the New York Stock
     Exchange subject only to official notice of issuance thereof
     and notice of a satisfactory distribution of the Offered
     Securities.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not
have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement and
any applicable Pricing Agreement, this Agreement may be termi-
nated by you on notice to the Company at any time at or prior to
the Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability
of any party to any other party, except as provided in Section 4.
Notwithstanding any such termination, the provisions of Sections
6, 7 and 8 shall remain in effect.

Section 6.   Indemnification.
             ---------------

(a)  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each
     Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any
     Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
     as follows:

     (i)     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
             and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of
             an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
             material fact contained in the Registration State-
             ment (or any amendment thereto) and all documents
             incorporated therein by reference, or the omission
             or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact
             required to be stated therein or necessary to make
             the statements therein not misleading or arising out
             of an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
             of a material fact included in any preliminary
             prospectus supplement or the Prospectus (or any
             amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or
             alleged omission therefrom of a material fact neces-
             sary in order to make the statements therein, in the
             light of the circumstances under which they were
             made, not misleading;

     (ii)    against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
             and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent
             of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any
             litigation, or investigation or proceeding by any
             governmental agency or body, commenced or
             threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon
             any such untrue statement or omission, or any such
             alleged untrue statement or omission, if such
             settlement is effected with the written consent of
             the Company; and

     (iii)   against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred
             (including fees and disbursements of counsel chosen
             by you), reasonably incurred in investigating, pre-
             paring or defending against any litigation, or in-
             vestigation or proceeding by any governmental agency
             or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim what-
             soever based upon any such untrue statement or
             omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or
             omission, to the extent that any such expense is not
             paid under subparagraph (i) or (ii) above;

     provided, however, that this indemnity agreement does not
     --------  -------
     apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to
     the extent arising out of an untrue statement or omission or
     alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon
     and in conformity with written information furnished to the
     Company by any Underwriter through you expressly for use in
     the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or
     any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus (or
     any amendment or supplement thereto); and provided further,
                                               -------- -------
     however, that this indemnity, as to any preliminary
     -------
     prospectus supplement, shall not inure to the benefit of any
     Underwriter (or any person controlling such Underwriter) on
     account of any loss, claim, damage, liability or litigation
     arising from the sale of Offered Securities to any person by
     such Underwriter if such Underwriter failed to send or give
     a copy of the Prospectus, as the same may be supplemented or
     amended, excluding documents incorporated by reference, to
     such person within the time required by the 1933 Act, and
     the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
     or alleged omission of a material fact in such preliminary
     prospectus supplement was corrected in the Prospectus,
     unless such failure resulted from noncompliance by the
     Company with Section 3(a).

     Insofar as this indemnity agreement may permit indemnifica-
     tion for liabilities under the 1933 Act of any person who is
     a partner of an Underwriter or who controls an Underwriter
     within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act and who, at
     the date of this Agreement, is a director or officer of the
     Company or controls the Company within the meaning of Sec-
     tion 15 of the 1933 Act, such indemnity agreement is subject
     to the undertaking of the Company in the Registration State-
     ment under Item 17 thereof.

(b)  Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold
     harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers
     who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if
     any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section
     15 of the 1933 Act, against any and all loss, liability,
     claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity agree-
     ment in Section 6(a), as incurred, but only with respect to
     untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements
     or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any
     amendment thereto), or any preliminary prospectus supplement
     or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto)
     in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
     furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through you
     expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any
     amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus supplement
     or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

(c)  Each indemnified party shall give prompt notice to each
     indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in
     respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but
     failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve
     it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on
     account of this indemnity agreement.  An indemnifying party
     may participate at its own expense in the defense of such
     action.  In no event shall the indemnifying party or parties
     be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one counsel
     for all indemnified parties in connection with any one
     action or separate but similar or related actions in the
     same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allega-
     tions or circumstances.

Section 7.   Contribution.  In order to provide for just and
             ------------
equitable contribution in circumstances under which the indemnity
provided for in Section 6 is for any reason held to be unenforce-
able by the indemnified parties although applicable in accordance
with its terms, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute
to the aggregate losses, liabilities, claims, damages and ex-
penses of the nature contemplated by such indemnity incurred by
the Company and one or more of the Underwriters, as incurred, in
such proportions that the Underwriters are responsible for that
portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting
discount hereunder with respect to the offering of the Offered
Securities bears to the initial public offering price of the
Offered Securities, and the Company is responsible for the
balance; provided, however, that no person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the
1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who
was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For pur-
poses of this Section, each person, if any, who controls an
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act
shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter,
and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who
signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933
Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
The Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant
to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the principal
amount of Offered Securities set forth opposite their respective
names in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement, and not
joint.

Section 8.   Representations, Warranties and Agreements to
             ---------------------------------------------
Survive Delivery.  The representations, warranties, indemnities,
- ----------------
agreements and other statements of the Company or its officers
set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain
operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investi-
gation made by or on behalf of the Company, any Underwriter or
any person who controls the Company or any Underwriter within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act and will survive delivery
of and payment for the Offered Securities.

Section 9.   Termination of Agreement.
             ------------------------

(a)  You may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company,
     at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has
     been, since the respective dates as of which information is
     given in the Registration Statement, any material adverse
     change in the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings,
     business affairs or business prospects of the Company and
     its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, whether or
     not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if
     there has occurred any material adverse change in the finan-
     cial markets in the United States or any outbreak of hos-
     tilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis
     the effect of which on the financial markets of the United
     States is such as to make it, in your judgment, imprac-
     ticable to market the Offered Securities or enforce con-
     tracts for the sale of the Offered Securities or (iii) if
     trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended
     by the Commission or the National Association of Securities
     Dealers, Inc., or if trading generally on either the
     American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in
     the over-the-counter market has been suspended, or minimum
     or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum
     ranges for prices for securities have been required, by such
     exchange or by order of the Commission, the National Associ-
     ation of Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental
     authority or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared
     by either federal, New York or Texas authorities.

(b)  This Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such
     termination shall be without liability of any party to any
     other party, except to the extent provided in Section 4.
     Notwithstanding any such termination, the provisions of
     Sections 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in effect.

Section 10.  Default.  If one or more of the Underwriters shall
             -------
fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Offered Securities that
it or they are obligated to purchase (the "Defaulted Offered
Securities"), you shall have the right, within 24 hours there-
after, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not
less than all, of the Defaulted Offered Securities in such
amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set
forth; if, however, you have not completed such arrangements
within such 24-hour period, then:

(a)  if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Offered
     Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal
     amount of the Offered Securities to be purchased, the non-
     defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated to purchase the
     full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective
     underwriting obligations bear to the underwriting obliga-
     tions of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(b)  if the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Offered
     Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of
     the Offered Securities to be purchased, this Agreement shall
     terminate without liability on the part of any non-
     defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default that does not result in a
termination of this Agreement, either you or the Company shall
have the right to postpone the Closing Time for a period not
exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in
the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other docu-
ments or arrangements.  As used herein, the term "Underwriter"
includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this
Section 10.

Section 11.  Notices.  All notices and other communications
             -------
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been
duly given if delivered, mailed or transmitted by any standard
form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be
directed as set forth in the applicable Pricing Agreement.
Notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Southern Union
Company, 504 Lavaca Street, Eighth Floor, Austin, Texas 78701,
attention of Ronald J. Endres, Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer and Dennis K. Morgan, Senior Vice President -
Legal and Secretary with a copy to Fleischman and Walsh, L.L.P.,
1400 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036,
Attention:  Stephen A. Bouchard.

Section 12.  Parties.  This Agreement and any applicable Pricing
             -------
Agreement are made solely for the benefit of the several Under-
writers, the Company and, to the extent expressed, any person who
controls the Company or any of the Underwriters within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act, and the directors of the
Company, its officers who have signed the Registration Statement,
and their respective executors, administrators, successors and
assigns and, subject to the provisions of Section 10, no other
person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this
Agreement or any such Pricing Agreement.  The term "successors
and assigns" shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser,
from any Underwriter of the Offered Securities.  If there are two
or more Underwriters, all of their obligations hereunder are
several and not joint.

Section 13.  Governing Law and Time.  THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY
             ----------------------
APPLICABLE PRICING AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE
STATE OF NEW YORK.  SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY
TIME.

Section 14.  Counterparts.  This Agreement and any applicable
             ------------
Pricing Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and
when a counterpart has been executed by each party, all such
counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same
agreement.

                ----------------------------------

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof,
whereupon this instrument will become a binding agreement between
the Company and each Underwriter in accordance with its terms.


                                Very truly yours,

                                SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY


                                By
                                   ------------------------------
                                   Name:
                                   Title:


Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written:


  DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
    SECURITIES CORPORATION
  MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
    Incorporated
  BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
  CHASE SECURITIES INC.
  CREDIT LYONNAIS SECURITIES (USA) INC.

By:  Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
     Securities Corporation



     By
        ----------------------------
        Name:
        Title:

     For itself, Merrill Lynch & Co.,
     Merril Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
     Smith Incorporated, Banc of
     America Securities LLC, Chase
     Securities Inc. and Credit
     Lyonnais Securities (USA) Inc.
     and as Representative of the
     other Underwriters listed in
     Schedule I to the applicable
     Pricing Agreement


<PAGE>



                                                     Exhibit 1.2


                     PRICING AGREEMENT


DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
    SECURITIES CORPORATION
MERRILL LYNCH & Co.
  Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
CHASE SECURITIES INC.
CREDIT LYONNAIS SECURITIES (USA) INC.
c/o Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York  10172



                                                 October 27, 1999



Dear Sirs:


Southern Union Company, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and
in the Purchase Agreement, dated October 27, 1999 (the "Purchase
Agreement"), between the Company on the one hand and Donaldson,
Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation ("DLJ"), Merrill Lynch &
Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated ("Merrill
Lynch"), Banc of America Securities LLC ("B of A"), Chase Securi-
ties Inc. ("Chase") and Credit Lyonnais Securities (USA) Inc.
(Credit Lyonnais") on the other hand, to issue and sell to DLJ,
Merrill Lynch, B of A, Chase and Credit Lyonnais (collectively,
the "Underwriters") the Securities specified in Schedule II
hereto (the "Offered Securities").  The Offered Securities will
be issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of January 31, 1994
(the "Indenture") between the Company and The Chase Manhattan
Bank, as Trustee.  Each of the provisions of the Purchase Agree-
ment is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and
shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent
as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein; and each
of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be
deemed to have been made at and as of the Closing Time (as
defined in the Purchase Agreement) and as of the date of this
Pricing Agreement.  Unless otherwise defined herein, terms
defined in the Purchase Agreement are used herein as therein
defined.  Your address referred to in such Section 11 are set
forth at the end of Schedule II hereto.

The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the
Commission.  An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a
supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the
Offered Securities, in the form heretofore delivered to you is
now proposed to be filed with the Commission.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the
Purchase Agreement incorporated herein by reference, and on the
basis of the representations and warranties contained herein and
therein, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each Under-
writer, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly,
to purchase from the Company, at the time and place and at the
purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II
hereto, the principal amount of Offered Securities set forth
opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto.


                                  [Signatures on following page.]


<PAGE>


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please
sign and return to us six (6) counterparts hereof, and upon
acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters,
this letter and such acceptance hereof, including the provisions
of the Purchase Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall
constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters
and the Company.


                                Very truly yours,

                                SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY


                                By
                                   ------------------------------
                                   Name:
                                   Title:


Confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written:


  DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE
    SECURITIES CORPORATION
  MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
    Incorporated
  BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
  CHASE SECURITIES INC.
  CREDIT LYONNAIS SECURITIES (USA) INC.

By:  Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
     Securities Corporation



     By
        ----------------------------
        Name:
        Title:

     For itself, Merrill Lynch & Co.,
     Merril Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
     Smith Incorporated, Banc of
     America Securities LLC, Chase
     Securities Inc. and Credit
     Lyonnais Securities (USA) Inc.
     and as Representative of the
     other Underwriters listed in
     Schedule I hereto


                                              Schedule I
                                                  to
                                               Pricing
                                              Agreement
                                      Dated: October 27, 1999



                                              Principal
                                              Amount of
                                               Offered
                                              Securities
                                                to be
            Underwriter                       Purchased
            -----------                       ---------

Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
  Securities Corporation................     $105,000,000


Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
  Smith Incorporated....................      105,000,000

Banc of America Securities LLC..........       30,000,000

Chase Securities Inc....................       30,000,000

Credit Lyonnais Securities
  (USA) Inc.............................       30,000,000
                                             ------------
                            Total            $300,000,000



<PAGE>



                                             Schedule II
                                                 to
                                               Pricing
                                              Agreement

                                        Dated: October 27, 1999



                      SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY

                   8 1/4% Senior Notes Due 2029


Principal amount to be issued:        $300,000,000

Current ratings:                      Baa2/BBB+

Interest rate:                        8 1/4%, payable semi-
                                      annually on May 15 and
                                      November 15, beginning
                                      May 15, 2000

Date of maturity:                     November 15, 2029

Redemption provisions:                Not callable

Sinking fund requirements:            None

Initial public offering price:        99.565 % of the principal
                                      amount plus accrued
                                      interest from November 3,
                                      1999.

Purchase price:                       98.69 % of the principal
                                      amount plus accrued
                                      interest from November 3,
                                      1999 (payable by wire
                                      transfer of immediately
                                      available funds).

Closing date, time and location:      November 3, 1999, 10:00
                                      a.m. at the offices of
                                      Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP,
                                      counsel to the Underwriters

Delayed delivery contracts:           Not authorized

Listing requirement:                  None




<PAGE>


                                                     Exhibit 99.1




                      SOUTHERN UNION COMPANY

                   8.25% Senior Notes Due 2029

                      OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE



THE UNDERSIGNED, Ronald J. Endres and Andre C. Bouchard, do
hereby certify that they are the duly appointed, qualified and
acting Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and
Assistant Secretary, respectively, of Southern Union Company, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and they do hereby further
certify that there is hereby established pursuant to the resolu-
tions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, as
of September 17, 1999 and by the Executive Committee thereof as
of October 27, 1999 (the "Resolutions") and Section 301 of the
Indenture, dated as of January 31, 1994 (the "Indenture"),
between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee (the
"Trustee"), a series of Securities (as that term is used in
Section 301 of the Indenture) to be issued under the Indenture,
which series of Securities shall have the following terms and
such additional terms as shall be set forth in the form of Notes
(as defined below) attached hereto as Exhibit A (unless otherwise
defined herein, capitalized terms used herein have the meanings
assigned thereto in the Indenture):

1.   The Securities shall be entitled "8.25% Senior Notes Due
     2029" (the "Notes").

2.   The initial aggregate principal amount of Notes that are to
     be authenticated and delivered under the Indenture is
     $300,000,000 (except for Notes authenticated and delivered
     upon registration of, transfer of or in exchange for, or in
     lieu of other Notes pursuant to Section 305, 306 or 906 of
     the Indenture).  This Series may be reopened and additional
     Notes of this Series may be issued in accordance with the
     terms of the Indenture.

3.   The principal amount of the Notes shall mature on
     November 15, 2029, subject to the provisions of Section 502
     of the Indenture respecting acceleration.

4.   The Notes shall bear interest from November 3, 1999, or from
     the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has
     been paid or provided for, at the rate of 8.25% per annum,
     payable semiannually in arrears on May 15 and November 15 of
     each year, commencing May 15, 2000, for payment to holders
     on the respective Regular Record Dates, which dates shall be
     the next preceding May 1 and November 1, respectively.

5.   The principal of and interest on the Notes shall be payable
     at, and any Notes surrendered for registration of transfer
     or exchange shall be delivered to, the office or agency
     maintained by the Company for that purpose, pursuant to the
     Indenture (initially the Corporate Trust Office of the
     Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan, in the City of New
     York); except that at the option of the Company, interest
     may be paid (a) by check mailed to the address of the Person
     entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the
     Security Register or (b) by wire transfer to an account
     maintained by the Person entitled thereto as specified in
     the Security Register.

6.   The Notes may not be redeemed at any time prior to the
     Stated Maturity thereof (November 15, 2029).

7.   The Notes shall not be subject to the operation of any
     sinking fund or an analogous provision.

8.   In addition to the covenants contained in the Indenture, the
     Notes will include the following additional covenants:

     (A)  Limitations on Restricted Payments:  The Company will
          not (and, with respect to clause (ii) will not permit
          any Subsidiary to) directly or indirectly (i) declare
          or pay any dividend on or make any distribution to the
          holders of, any shares of its Capital Stock (other than
          dividends and distributions payable solely in shares of
          its Capital Stock (other than Redeemable Stock) or in
          options, warrants or other rights to acquire in Capital
          Stock (other than Redeemable Stock)) or (ii) purchase,
          redeem or otherwise acquire or retire for consideration
          any shares of the Company's Capital Stock (each of the
          foregoing being referred to herein as a "Restricted
          Payment") unless, at the time of and after giving
          effect to such Restricted Payment, (1) no Default or
          Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
          and (2) the aggregate amount of all such Restricted
          Payments at the time of such Restricted Payment does
          not exceed the sum of (x) 50% of the cumulative con-
          solidated net income of the Company measured from
          January 31, 1994 through March 31, 1998 (the "Cut-Off
          Date") (or, if the Company's consolidated net income is
          a loss during that period, minus 100% of such loss) and
          100% of the Company's cumulative consolidated net
          income after the Cut-off Date (or, if the Company's
          consolidated net income is a loss during that period,
          minus 100% of such loss), plus (y) the aggregate net
          proceeds to the Company from sales of its Capital Stock
          (other than Redeemable Stock and Capital Stock sold to
          a Subsidiary) after the date of the Indenture.

     "Capital Stock" of any Person means any and all shares,
     interests, participations, or other equivalents (however
     designated) of such Persons' capital stock whether now
     outstanding or issued after the date of the Indenture.

     "Redeemable Stock" means any class or series of Capital
     Stock that by its terms or otherwise is required to be
     redeemed prior to the Stated Maturity of the Securities or
     is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof at any
     time prior to the Stated Maturity of the Securities.

     (B)  Restriction on Transfer of Assets:  The Company will
          not sell, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of its
          assets or property to any of its Subsidiaries, except
          for: (i)sales, conveyances, transfers or other disposi-
          tions of assets or property acquired by the Company
          after January 31, 1994; (ii) sales, conveyances,
          transfers or other dispositions of Existing Assets (a)
          with a net book value that, when aggregated with all
          other such transfers by the Company since January 31,
          1994, less the net book value of Existing Assets trans-
          ferred to the Company from its subsidiaries, would not
          exceed 10% of the Consolidated Assets of the Company or
          (b) to any Subsidiary if such Subsidiary simultaneously
          with such sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposi-
          tion executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to
          the Indenture providing for the guarantee of payment of
          the Notes by such Subsidiary, which guarantee shall be
          senior to any guarantee of such Subsidiary of subordi-
          nated Debt of the Company, and shall be pari passu with
          any other Debt of such Subsidiary (which is not subor-
          dinated to any other Debt or guarantee of such Subsidi-
          ary); and (iii) sales, conveyances, transfers or other
          dispositions of Disposable Assets that would not exceed
          10% of Consolidated Assets of the Company.  Notwith-
          standing the foregoing, any such guarantee of a Sub-
          sidiary of the Notes shall provide by its terms that it
          shall be automatically and unconditionally released and
          discharged (i) on the date that the net book value of
          the Existing Assets held by the Company is greater than
          90% of Consolidated Assets or (ii) upon any sale,
          exchange or transfer to any Person not an Affiliate of
          the Company of all of the Company's stock in, or all or
          substantially all the assets of, such Subsidiary.

     "Consolidated Assets" means the net book value of the
     Existing Assets shown on the balance sheet of the Company,
     as determined in accordance with generally accepted
     accounting principles consistently applied, as of
     December 31, 1993.

     "Disposable Assets" means General Plant (as defined below)
     and all assets primarily used in the natural gas vehicular
     fuels business.

     "Existing Assets" means the assets and other property held
     by the Company (and not its Subsidiaries) as of December 31,
     1993, plus any assets held by the Company (and not its
     Subsidiaries) irrevocably designated from time to time by
     the Company as Existing Assets.

     "General Plant" shall have the meaning set forth under the
     "Uniform System of Accounts for Class A and B Gas Utilities
     1976 National Association of Regulatory Utility Commis-
     sioners" Chapter 6; Accounts 389 through and including 398.

     (C)  Limitation on Transactions with Affiliates:  The
          Company will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary
          to, enter into any transactions with any Affiliate of
          the Company unless (i) such transactions are between
          and among the Company and wholly owned Subsidiaries or
          (ii) (A) the terms of such transactions are no less
          favorable to the Company or such Subsidiary, as the
          case may be, than the terms which could be obtained
          by the Company or such Subsidiary, as the case may be,
          in a comparable transaction made on a arm's-length
          basis between unaffiliated parties and (B) a majority
          of the disinterested directors of the Board of Direc-
          tors of the Company shall by resolution determine that
          such transactions meet the criteria set forth in clause
          (ii)(A) above.

9.   The Notes shall only be issued as Registered Securities.

10.  The Notes shall be issued in permanent global form without
     interest coupons, initially issued to Cede & Co., as nominee
     of The Depository Trust Company (the initial depository
     therefor), in accordance with Section 305 of the Indenture.


                 [signatures appear on following page]


<PAGE>

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Certifi-
cate on this 3rd day of November, 1999.

                           RONALD J. ENDRES
                           ------------------------------------
                           Ronald J. Endres
                           Executive Vice President and Chief
                           Financial Officer



                           ANDRE C. BOUCHARD
                           ------------------------------------
                           Andre C. Bouchard
                           Assistant Secretary



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