COASTAL CORP
8-K, 1998-06-03
NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION
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                      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:  June 3, 1998
                 Date of earliest event reported: June 3, 1998

                            THE COASTAL CORPORATION
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

             DELAWARE                                     74-1734212     
      (State of incorporation                          (I.R.S. Employer  
         or organization)                             Identification No.) 

              COASTAL TOWER                                 
           NINE GREENWAY PLAZA                              
             HOUSTON, TEXAS                               77046-0995
(Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code) 

                                             
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ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

        (c) Exhibits.

            (12)  Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.


                                   SIGNATURE

        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 hereunto duly authorized.

                                THE COASTAL CORPORATION
                                      (Registrant)



Date: June 3, 1998              By:     /s/ Coby C. Hesse
                                   -------------------------------
                                            Coby C. Hesse
                                      Executive Vice President

<PAGE>
 
                                                                      EXHIBIT 12

                   THE COASTAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
               COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

<TABLE> 
<CAPTION> 
                                                                                                       Three Months Ended
                                                         Year Ended December 31,                            March 31,
                                               ---------------------------------------------------    ---------------------
                                                 1993       1994       1995       1996       1997       1997         1998
                                               --------   --------   -------    -------    -------    -------      --------
                                                                (Dollars in Millions)
<S>                                            <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>          <C> 
EARNINGS:
    Pretax earnings from continuing
     operations...........................      $202.4      $324.9    $297.2   $  645.1     $509.1     $142.8       $181.2
    Fixed charges, excluding capitalized
     interest--see below..................       481.8       433.9     441.9      399.2      348.4       87.1         85.2
                                                ------      ------    ------   --------     ------     ------       ------
    Earnings..............................      $684.2      $758.8    $739.1   $1,044.3     $857.5     $229.9       $266.4
                                                ======      ======    ======   ========     ======     ======       ======
FIXED CHARGES:
    Interest expense......................      $442.5      $407.8    $415.4   $  368.3     $307.5     $ 79.2       $ 75.3
    Interest factor, included in rentals..        32.7        24.0      26.5       30.9       31.7        7.9          7.6
    Dividends on preferred stock of                   
     subsidiaries.........................         6.6         2.1        --         --        9.2         --          2.3
                                                ------      ------    ------   --------     ------     ------       ------
    Fixed charges, excluding capitalized
     interest..............................      481.8       433.9     441.9      399.2      348.4       87.1         85.2
    Capitalized interest..................         8.4         8.3       5.9        8.0       15.5        2.4          5.5
                                                ------      ------    ------   --------     ------     ------       ------
    Fixed charges..........................     $490.2      $442.2    $447.8   $  407.2     $363.9     $ 89.5       $ 90.7
                                                ======      ======    ======   ========     ======     ======       ======
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.........       1.40x       1.72x     1.65x      2.56x      2.36x      2.57x        2.94x
                                                ======      ======    ======   ========     ======     ======       ======
</TABLE> 


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