SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 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) June 26, 1997
MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 1-3480 41-0423660
(State or other jurisdiction (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
400 North Fourth Street, Bismarck, ND 58501
(Address of principal executive offices (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (701) 222-7900
Item 5. Other Events
As discussed in the Registrant's 1996 Annual Report on Form 10-K
and the March 31, 1997 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the estate
of W. A. Moncrief (Moncrief) in November 1993, filed suit in
Federal District Court for the District of Wyoming (Federal
District Court) against the Registrant and Williston Basin
Interstate Pipeline Company (Williston Basin), the Registrant's
indirectly, wholly owned subsidiary, disputing certain price and
volume issues under a natural gas purchase contract.
Through the course of this action Moncrief submitted damage
calculations which totalled approximately $19 million or, under
its alternative pricing theory, approximately $39 million.
On June 26, 1997, the Federal District Court issued its order
awarding Moncrief damages of approximately $15.6 million plus
reimbursement for costs Moncrief incurred as a result of this
action. The Registrant believes that it is entitled to recover
from ratepayers virtually all of the costs that were incurred as
a result of this order as gas supply realignment transition costs
pursuant to the provisions of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission's (FERC) Order 636. However, the amount of costs
which can ultimately be recovered are subject to approval by the
FERC and market conditions.
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.
MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC.
DATE: July 14, 1997 By /s/ Warren L. Robinson
Warren L. Robinson
Vice President, Treasurer and
Chief Financial Officer
