SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY CO
11-K, 2000-06-22
NATURAL GAS TRANSMISISON & DISTRIBUTION
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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


                                    FORM 11-K

(Mark One)

   [  X  ]   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                   For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1999

                                       OR

   [     ]   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

  For the transition period from ____________________ to _____________________

                          Commission file number 1-8246

   A.  Full title  of the plan  and the address  of the plan,  if different from
       that of the issuer named below:

                 Southwestern Energy Company 401(k) Savings Plan

   B.  Name of  issuer of the  securities  held  pursuant  to the  plan  and the
       address of its principal executive office:

                           Southwestern Energy Company

                                1083 Sain Street

                              Post Office Box 1408

                        Fayetteville, Arkansas 72702-1408

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

<PAGE>




                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

              FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1999 AND 1998

             TOGETHER WITH REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS













<PAGE>


                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

              INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPORTING SCHEDULE

                           DECEMBER 31, 1999 AND 1998

                              FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                           Page

     <S>                                                                                     <C>
     Report of Independent Public Accountants                                                1

     Statements of Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
      as of December 31, 1999 and 1998                                                       2

     Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits
      for the year ended December 31, 1999                                                   3

     Notes to Financial Statements                                                           4


                    SCHEDULE SUPPORTING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

     Schedule of Assets Held for Investment Purposes, Form 5500, Schedule H, Item 4i -
      December 31, 1999                                                                      8

</TABLE>


<PAGE>





                    REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

     To the Retirement Committee of
       Southwestern Energy Company:

     We  were  engaged  to  audit  the  accompanying  financial  statements  and
     supplemental  schedule of the  Southwestern  Energy  Company 401(k) Savings
     Plan (the  Plan) as of  December  31,  1999 and 1998 and for the year ended
     December 31, 1999, as listed in the  accompanying  index.  These  financial
     statements and schedule are the  responsibility  of the Plan's  management.
     Our  responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial  statements
     based on our audits.

     We conducted our audits in accordance  with  auditing  standards  generally
     accepted in the United  States.  Those  standards  require that we plan and
     perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the
     financial statements are free of material  misstatement.  An audit includes
     examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures
     in  the  financial  statements.   An  audit  also  includes  assessing  the
     accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as
     well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe
     that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

     In our opinion,  the financial  statements  and schedule  referred to above
     present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for Plan
     benefits  as of December  31, 1999 and 1998,  and the changes in net assets
     available  for Plan  benefits  for the year ended  December  31,  1999,  in
     conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted in the United
     States.

     Tulsa, Oklahoma
       May 2, 2000








                                        1
<PAGE>

                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

              STATEMENTS OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1999 AND 1998

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                   1999              1998
                                                               ------------     ------------
     <S>                                                       <C>              <C>
     ASSETS:
     Investments, at quoted market value (Notes 1 and 4):
       Mutual funds                                            $ 12,351,416     $          -
       Common collective trusts                                   8,203,248       17,581,694
       Common stock                                                 602,225          285,907
       Participant loans                                            420,255          159,041
                                                               ------------     ------------
                                                                 21,577,144       18,026,642
                                                               ------------     ------------

     Other assets:
       Contributions receivable                                     136,342          129,248
       Interest receivable                                                -           19,778
                                                               ------------     ------------
                                                                    136,342          149,026
                                                               ------------     ------------
     LIABILITIES:
       Payable to plan participants                                   3,364                -
                                                               ------------     ------------

     NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS                    $ 21,710,122     $ 18,175,668
                                                               ============     ============

</TABLE>




                     The accompanying notes are an integral
                            part of these statements.
















                                        2
<PAGE>

                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

         STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS

                      FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1999


<TABLE>

     <S>                                                           <C>
     NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS,
       beginning of year                                           $ 18,175,668
                                                                   ------------

     CHANGES DURING THE YEAR (Note 1):
       Contributions:
       Employee                                                       2,466,199
       Employer                                                         805,402
       Interest and dividend income                                     925,210
       Net appreciation in fair value of investments                    756,665
       Withdrawals by participants                                   (1,416,297)
       Other                                                             (2,725)
                                                                   ------------

                 Net change during the year                           3,534,454
                                                                   ------------

     NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR PLAN BENEFITS,
       end of year                                                 $ 21,710,122
                                                                   ============

</TABLE>



                          The accompanying notes are an
                        integral part of this statement.








                                        3
<PAGE>


                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

                          NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                           DECEMBER 31, 1999 AND 1998


     1.  DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES:

     Scope of the Plan

     The Southwestern Energy Company 401(k) Savings Plan (the Plan) is a defined
     contribution plan that covers all employees of Southwestern  Energy Company
     (the Company) and its subsidiaries except for:

     (a) Employees who have not yet completed thirty (30) days of service.

     (b) Employees under the age of twenty-one (21).

     (c) Seasonal  employees  who have  one thousand  (1,000)  or less  hours of
         service for the applicable computation period.

     Participation by eligible employees in the Plan is voluntary.

     Administration

     The trust under the Plan was operated under a trust  agreement with Scudder
     Trust  Company for the year ended  December 31, 1999 and with Bankers Trust
     Company for the year ended December 31, 1998. The change in trustee in 1999
     also changed the investment options available to employees.

     Plan Assets

     Mutual  funds,  common  collective  trusts,  and common stock are valued at
     year-end market prices.  Interest earned and dividends declared but not yet
     received  are  accrued  and  included  in  earnings  of the  Plan  for  the
     respective periods.

     Plan Expenses

     Expenses  incurred  in  connection  with the Plan are paid by the  Company.
     During  1999,  the Company  paid $17,098 in expenses on behalf of the Plan.
     Brokerage  commissions  and  transfer  taxes  incurred in  connection  with
     securities  transactions  are treated as a part of the  purchase  cost or a
     reduction of sale proceeds.

     Contributions and Funding Policy

     Participants  may  contribute  from one  percent  to six  percent  of their
     compensation in Basic Employee  Contributions and/or Basic Salary Reduction
     Contributions,  as  defined,  and  one  percent  to ten  percent  of  their
     compensation in Supplemental  Employee  Contributions  and/or  Supplemental
     Salary  Reduction  Contributions,  as defined.  The Company  matches  fifty
     percent of the first six percent of Basic Employee  Contributions and Basic
     Salary Reduction Contributions.  All contributions to the Plan are invested
     under the direction of the participant in eight separate funds as follows:

                                        4
<PAGE>

     o   Scudder Stable Value Fund - Invests in guaranteed investment contracts,
         alternative investment contracts, money market securities, and treasury
         bills.  The  guaranteed   investment   contracts  and  the  alternative
         investment  contracts  are fully benefit  responsive  and are therefore
         reported at contract value which approximates fair value.

     o   INVESCO  Selected  Income Fund - Invests in  primarily  bonds and other
         debt securities  issued by corporations as well as the U.S.  Government
         and its agencies.

     o   Scudder Pathway Series - Balanced  Portfolio - Invests in a diversified
         portfolio  with  emphasis  on growth and  current  income such as stock
         mutual funds, bond funds, and cash.

     o   Scudder Growth and Income Fund - Invests in primarily common stocks and
         convertible securities of established companies.

     o   Stock Index Fund - Invests  in a  broad  diversification  of stocks and
         stock funds that generally seek to mirror the S&P 500.

     o   Baron  Asset Fund - Invests  primarily  in common  stocks,  equity-like
         securities,  preferred  stock,  and  warrants of small and medium sized
         companies with undervalued assets.

     o   Scudder International Fund - Invests primarily in foreign stocks.

     o   Southwestern  Energy  Company Stock - Invests  solely  in the  stock of
         Southwestern Energy Company.

     Vesting

     Contributions  made by participants are fully vested.  Participants vest in
     the  Company's  contributions  to the Plan as set  forth  in the  following
     schedule:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                       Years of
                   Vesting Service                          Percent Vested
                   ---------------                          --------------
                            <S>                                 <C>
                            1                                     0%
                            2                                    50%
                            3                                   100%
</TABLE>


     Forfeitures

     Forfeited   nonvested   amounts   will  be  applied  to  restore   matching
     contributions  of any  Plan  participants  because  of a  valid  repayment.
     Remaining forfeitures will be used to reduce Plan expenses.  Any forfeiture
     amounts  which remain  following  payment of Plan  expenses will be used to
     reduce employer  matching  contributions.  At December 31, 1999, there were
     approximately  $17,000 in forfeitures available to be used for the purposes
     stated above.

     Participants' Accounts

     Each participant's account is credited with the participant's  contribution
     and an allocation of:

     (a) The Company's contribution.
     (b) The Plan's investment earnings.




                                        5
<PAGE>

     The allocation of the Plan's investment earnings is performed at the end of
     each calendar quarter.

     The Plan permits  current  participants to apply for and receive loans that
     represent  borrowings from a participant's  account.  The maximum amount of
     any loan available under the Plan is limited to the lesser of $50,000 or 50
     percent of a participant's vested account balance.

     Although withdrawals from active  participants'  accounts are restricted by
     the Plan,  various options are available to participants which are based on
     the type of contributions made, age of the participant and other factors.

     On termination  of service due to death or  disability,  a participant or a
     participant's  estate may receive the full value of his or her account in a
     lump sum. For  termination of service due to other  reasons,  a participant
     may  receive  the value of the vested  interest  in his or her account as a
     lump sum distribution.

     Participants  may  change  their   contribution   percentages,   investment
     elections,  transfer  balances between funds,  and apply for  distributions
     24-hours  a day  either  through  telephone  access on the Pilot  System or
     Internet Access on the Scudder InterActive Account.

     Basis of Accounting

     The Plan's  financial  statements  are  presented  on the accrual  basis of
     accounting.  The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with
     accounting  principles generally accepted in the United States requires the
     Plan's  management  to  use  estimates  and  assumptions  that  affect  the
     accompanying  financial  statements and  disclosures.  Actual results could
     differ from these estimates.

     Plan Amendments

     There were no plan amendments during 1999.

     Reclassifications

     The  Accounting  Standards  Committee  issued  Statement  of Position  99-3
     Accounting for and Reporting of Certain  Defined  Contribution  Investments
     and Other Disclosure  Matters (SOP 99-3),  which eliminates the requirement
     for a defined contribution plan to disclose participant-directed investment
     programs. The SOP 99-3 was adopted for the 1999 financial statements and as
     such, the 1998 financial statements have been reclassified to eliminate the
     participant-directed, fund-investment program disclosures.

     2.  TERMINATION OF THE PLAN:

     The Plan gives the Company the right to discontinue  its  contributions  at
     any time  and to  terminate  the  Plan  subject  to the  provisions  of the
     Employee  Retirement  Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).  In the event of
     Plan  termination,  participants  will  become  100  percent  vested in the
     contributions made by the Company.

     3.  TAX STATUS:

     The Internal  Revenue Service issued a determination  letter dated November
     7, 1994,  stating that the Plan was designed in accordance  with applicable
     requirements of the Internal  Revenue Code. The Plan has been amended since
     receiving the determination letter. However, the Plan administrator and the
     Plan's legal counsel believe that the Plan is currently  designed and being
     operated in compliance  with the  applicable  requirements  of the Internal
     Revenue Code. Therefore, no provision for income taxes has been included in
     the Plan's financial statements.

     On January 1, 1999,  the Plan  adopted  the  Scudder  prototype  plan which
     received a favorable determination letter on May 9, 1996.

                                        6
<PAGE>

     4.  INVESTMENTS:

     The following  investments represent five percent or more of the net assets
     available for benefits at December 31, 1999 and 1998:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                                                                Market Value at December 31,
       Description of Asset                                                         1999             1998
       --------------------                                                     ------------     ------------
     <S>                                                                        <C>              <C>
     Bankers Trust Pyramid Government Securities Cash Fund                      $    N/A         $ 17,581,694
     Scudder Trust Company Growth and Income Fund                                  7,324,630          N/A
     Scudder Trust Company Collective Investment Trust Stable Value Fund           4,642,777          N/A
     Scudder Trust Company Collective Investment Trust Stock Index Fund            3,560,471          N/A
     Scudder Trust Company Pathway Series - Balanced Fund                          2,118,333          N/A
     INVESCO Funds Group, Inc. Selected Income Fund                                1,523,300          N/A
</TABLE>

     5.  BENEFITS PAYABLE:

     Amounts  allocated for benefits  requested by participants  before year end
     but not paid until after year end were  $92,514 and $0 at December 31, 1999
     and 1998, respectively.

     6.  NET APPRECIATION IN FAIR VALUE OF INVESTMENTS:

     Net  appreciation  (depreciation)  by  investment  type for the year  ended
     December 31, 1999 was as follows:

<TABLE>
       <S>                                       <C>
       Mutual funds                              $ 409,709
       Common collective trusts                    404,912
       Common stock                                (57,956)
                                                 ----------
                                                 $ 756,665
                                                 ==========
</TABLE>

     7.  SUBSEQUENT EVENT:

     Effective  May 31, 2000, a significant  portion of  Associated  Natural Gas
     Company  (ANG),  a  subsidiary  of the  Company,  will be  sold to  another
     company.  As a result  approximately  two-thirds of ANG's employees will be
     transferred to the other company.










                                        7
<PAGE>


                           SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY

                               401(k) SAVINGS PLAN

SCHEDULE OF ASSETS HELD FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES - FORM 5500, SCHEDULE H, ITEM 4i

                                DECEMBER 31, 1999

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                             DESCRIPTION OF INVESTMENT
                                             INCLUDING MATURITY DATE,
       IDENTITY OF ISSUE, BORROWER,         RATE OF INTEREST, COLLATERAL,         CURRENT
         LESSOR, OR SIMILAR PARTY             PAR, OR MATURITY VALUE               VALUE
     --------------------------------      -------------------------------      -----------
     <S>                                   <C>                                  <C>
     Entergy Corporation                   8,316 Common Shares                  $   214,124

     Southwestern Energy Company*          59,139 Common Shares                     388,101

     Scudder Trust Company Collective
       Investment Trust*                   Stable Value Fund                      4,642,777

     Scudder Trust Company Collective
       Investment Trust*                   Stock Index Fund                       3,560,471

     Scudder Trust Company*                Pathway Series - Balanced Fund         2,118,333

     Scudder Trust Company*                Growth and Income Fund                 7,324,630

     Scudder Trust Company*                International Fund                       651,954

     Baron Capital Inc.                    Asset Fund                               733,199

     INVESCO Funds Group, Inc.             Select Income Fund                     1,523,300

     Various plan participants*            Participant loans with interest
                                             rates from 8.75% to 9.75% and
                                             various maturities                     420,255
                                                                                -----------

                                                                                $21,577,144
                                                                                ===========
     * Parties-in-interest
</TABLE>



                                        8
<PAGE>



                                   SIGNATURES

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

                                                SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY COMPANY
                                                    401(k) SAVINGS PLAN
                                                ---------------------------

  Date:  June 21, 2000                          BY:  /s/ GREG D. KERLEY
  ---------------------------                   ---------------------------
                                                      Greg D. Kerley
                                                 Executive Vice President
                                                And Chief Financial Officer







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