Atos
Annual Report 2006

Plain-text annual report

A T M O S E N E R G Y C O R P O R A T I O N C E L E B R A T I N G 1OOY E A R S o f S E R V I C E 2 0 0 6 S U M M A R Y A N N U A L R E P O R T  years ago, a few visionary pioneers founded Amarillo Gas Company to bring energy to the frontier. Today, some 4,600 Atmos Energy employees keep that energy alive for 3.2 million customers across the nation. 100 we are the number one all-natural-gas 1Every single employee is the reason utility in America today. 2 – 3 1906: Amarillo Gas Company was founded by brothers J.C. and Frank Storm to manufacture coal gas on the Texas frontier . 2 14 Centennial Review Letter to Shareholders 22 30 Financial Review Atmos Energy Officers 31 32 Board of Directors Corporate Information In 2006, we celebrated a century of bringing the energy of America to homes and businesses across our vast countryside. In this annual report, I’m proud to share with you the literally hundreds of great things about our 100-year-old company. Our spirit has remained strong through the decades. From the early days of finding and delivering natural gas, to innovation in our homes and places of business, to the unwavering commitment in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the spirit of our employees remains stronger than ever as we look forward to our next 100 years. —Robert W. Best Chairman, President & CEO 100 | The oil and gas boom brought new prosperity to Amarillo—and hundreds of road rally racers. In Kansas, two Atmos Energy employees answer to the name “Mr. Mayor.” Howard Hatfield serves as mayor of Anthony, and Bruce Main is mayor of Independence. 1918: In the Texas Panhandle, Amarillo Oil Company discovered one of the largest natural gas fields in the world. 1920: Amarillo Gas Company delivered the. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . first locally produced natural gas. 1924: Amarillo Gas and Amarillo Oil became part of Southwestern Development Company. 1927: Southwestern . . . . . . . . . . . 4 – 5 Over 200 countries celebrate with more than 1 million fruitcakes from Collin Street Bakery’s ovens fired with natural gas from Atmos Energy. 200 | When a call brought Atmos Energy employees Tim Thomas and Tim Langston to the home where Pat Walker cares for daughter Leslie, the men spent nearly three hours of their Saturday morning isolating a gas leak, keeping the gas turned on and getting to know this Special Olympian. Of the thousands of suppliers to Eastman Chemical Company, we have been awarded its coveted Supplier Excellence Award twice. 4 | The four elements of air, fire, earth and water came together mid- century as millions of West Texas acres prospered from gas-fired irrigation. 60 | Natural gas has long been vital to business. Today, 60 percent of all natural gas is used by industry and to generate electricity. 6 – 7 Atmos Energy leads the industry in equipping its meter readers with the Bite Terminator,® a new device that reduces dog bites by 95 percent without harming Fido. Atmos Energy employees showed their community spirit by grilling 800 burgers and hot dogs to celebrate the lifesaving work of the fire department in Olathe, Kansas. 10 Ten major acquisitions since 1983 have grown Atmos Energy’s utility customer base 11-fold. students at City Park Elementary in Dallas have been adopted by Atmos Energy. . . . . . Development Company expanded its system in West Texas, and by the late ’20s, natural gas was being piped to 23 new cities, serving more than 10,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . customers. 1931: Southwestern Development with Standard Oil and others built the country’s first 24-inch-diameter long-distance gas pipeline to . . . . . . . . . . . 2633280095 850 850 cubic feet of gas per minute can be extracted from the ground thanks to the Vapor Extraction Unit, invented by Atmos Energy employee Marc Chapman of Dallas. This is a tremendous boon to finding and repairing gas leaks that have saturated the ground and pose a safety risk. Most natural gas companies in the U.S. could be using the device within the next two to three years. 53 Atmos Energy has 53 billion cubic feet of underground natural gas working storage. For the third time in four years, Atmos Energy was honored with CIO magazine’s CIO 100 award, recognizing the most influential and forward-thinking uses of information technology. . . . . . Chicago. 1932: Sinclair Oil Corporation gained a controlling interest in Southwestern Development Company. 1933: Amarillo Gas began adding odorant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to natural gas to make it safer. 1934: Western Kentucky Gas Company was formed. 1942: Amarillo Gas fueled new army camps, air bases and defense . . . . . . . . . . . 1 | One hole in the ground that changed the world. In 1918, Amarillo Gas struck one of the largest gas fields ever. 8 – 9 1,000 Untold thousands of gas lamps illuminated towns in the company’s early days. Today’s natural gas lights provide picturesque and decorative lighting. The 23 Segways Atmos Energy has in operation so far have improved meter readers’ efficiency by 30 percent and have reduced injuries. That’s what we call making great strides. 10023Atmos Energy and its employees gave $1.5 million to the Red Cross to help hurricane victims. Taking health and safety to heart, we have installed 186 defibrillators in our offices. After Hurricane Katrina, 280 Atmos Energy employees from outside Louisiana relocated to the storm-ravaged area. Living in company-provided trailers, they restored 1.5 million feet of gas main in nine months. 500 Five hundred gas meters were under water in Iberia, St. Mary and Vermilion Parishes as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Online gas customers have grown by 37 percent this year. Almost half a million of our utility customers now have online accounts. . . . . . plants during World War II. 1944: Greeley Gas Company was formed in Greeley, Colorado. 1948: Two-way radios and telemetering equipment improved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . operations. 1954: Southwestern Development Company and its subsidiaries were collapsed into Pioneer Natural Gas Company. 1955: Pioneer installed . . . . . . . . . . . 10 – 11 Kent Maycut, a senior service technician from St. Bernard Parish, spent several days in a small boat rescuing 40 victims of the post-Katrina flood. Atmos Energy crews are in high gear, installing 65,000 feet of six-inch pipe to serve the thousands of new homes and businesses on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. 50 | As the country boomed in the ’50s, so did the widespread use of natural gas. 401,500,00028065,0003718612 – 13 As the first utility to restore service in Jefferson Parish after Katrina, Atmos Energy enabled Drago’s Seafood Restaurant to serve up to 3,500 free meals a day to emergency workers and neighbors in need. . . . . . its first computer, an RCA Spectra, reducing the time from meter reading to billing. 1956: Pioneer built its own headquarters building in Amarillo. 1962: The growth of irrigation customers made Pioneer a summer-peaking company. 1975: Pioneer Natural Gas Company changed its name to Pioneer . . . . . . . . . . Atmos Energy maintains more than 80,000 miles of gas transmission and distribution pipelines. 1,950 | Our employees have walked 1,950 kilometers for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure.® By 1950, Texas had 15,010 miles of gas transmission lines. Their operation led to development of gas reserves in the Permian Basin of West Texas. 3,50080,00015,01045 One of the largest pipeline projects in Atmos Energy’s history, the 45-mile North Side Loop was completed in 2006 to better serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Natural gas costs less than one-third of the cost of electricity per Btu. 500 Atmos Energy was named to the FORTUNE 500 for the first time in 2006. The company moved up 150 places since 2005. In 1626, French explorers discovered American natives igniting gases that were seeping into Lake Erie. . . . . . Corporation to emphasize its diversified assets. 1980: Trans Louisiana Gas Company was formed. 1983: Pioneer launched Energas as an independent, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . publicly held gas utility company. 1986: Energas made its first acquisition with the purchase of Trans Louisiana Gas. 1987: Growth continued with . . . . . . . . . . . 14 – 15 Dear Fellow Shareholder: We have many reasons to celebrate 2006, not the least of which was our company’s 100th birthday. In our centennial year, Atmos Energy delivered exceptional financial results that were driven by increased sales volumes and higher margins in our nonutility segment. At the same time, our utility operations implemented improved rate designs to strengthen our future financial performance. Net income for the fiscal year increased 9 percent to $147.7 million from $135.8 million in fiscal 2005, and earnings per diluted share grew by 10 cents to $1.82. We paid dividends of $1.26 per share, resulting in a yield of between 4 percent and 5 percent. In November 2006, the board of directors declared our 19th consecutive annual dividend increase, raising the dividend by 2 cents a share. The indicated rate for fiscal 2007 is $1.28. During 2006, we achieved smooth management transitions in both our utility and nonutility operations. Kim R. Cocklin assumed responsibilities as senior vice president, utility operations, and Mark H. Johnson was named senior vice president, nonutility operations. We also began recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which ini- tially had affected service to more than 60 percent of our Louisiana customers. Although Atmos Energy has changed in many ways during the past century, it has remained true to the founders’ core vision to serve the public as a natural gas company. Today, that vision translates into our complementary strategy of natural gas utility services and nonutility gas marketing, pipeline and storage services—a strategy that produced exceptional results in fiscal 2006. N o N u t i l i t y e a r N i N g s i N c r e a s e 7 3 p e r c e N t A very bright spot in 2006 was our nonutility operations. Earnings from these operations offset a 35 percent decline in our utility earnings to contribute a record-setting $94.7 million to net income, or $1.17 per diluted share. Our gas marketing subsidiary, Atmos Energy Marketing (AEM), was able to realize $68.7 million more in margins primarily as a result of the extreme volatility in natural gas commodity prices last winter. AEM used its experience and expertise as one of the country’s leading gas marketers to help many public utilities, municipalities and industrial customers contend with the wide swings in wholesale gas prices. As a result, AEM increased its 2006 marketing sales volumes by 46 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to 284.0 Bcf. Furthermore, our pipeline and storage segment, also part of our nonutility operations, achieved higher transportation and related-service margins and favorable arbitrage spreads on its storage contracts. The segment contributed $35.6 million to net income, a 16 percent increase over its contribution in fiscal 2005. Consolidated pipeline and storage throughput increased to 420.2 Bcf from 383.4 Bcf in fiscal 2005. A significant step we took during 2006—one that promises favorable returns and future opportunities—was our expansion into natural gas gathering. We expect to be able to use many of the same operating and marketing strengths found in our pipeline business in the gathering business. A gathering system collects raw gas from producers’ wells and transports it to a processing and sales terminal. From there, larger regulated pipelines carry the gas to market. In October 2006, we received an order from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exempting our proposed Straight Creek Gathering System from FERC regulation. This gathering system will use a 20-inch backbone pipeline running approximately 60 miles through the Big Sandy natural gas producing region in eastern Kentucky. It will be able to transport up to 100,000 million Btu (MMBtu) a day of gas when it goes into operation in 2007, with the capability to expand throughput up to 225,000 MMBtu a day. The Big Sandy producing region historically has not had sufficient gathering capacity to handle the available supply. It’s estimated that our project could generate more than $150 million a year in f i s c a l 2 0 0 6 N e t i N c o m e b y s e g m e N t P I P E L I N E A N D S T O R A G E 24.1% N A T U R A L G A S M A R K E T I N G 39.6% U T I L I T Y 35.9% O T H E R N O N U T I L I T Y 0.4% contributions from utility and nonutility operations 331626In 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial well and hit oil and natural gas at 69 feet below the surface of the earth. A two-inch-diameter pipeline was built, running 5.5 miles from the well to the village of Titusville, Pennsylvania. This discovery well is considered to be the beginning of the natural gas industry in America. Baby Jessica McClure was rescued from an abandoned well pipe with the help of our employees 19 years ago. Because natural gas is one of the most efficient energy sources, its use has increased 35 percent during the past decade and demand is expected to grow by 40 percent by 2025. . . . . . the acquisition of Western Kentucky Gas. 1988: Energas changed its name to Atmos Energy Corporation and was listed on the NYSE (ATO). 1993: Atmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Energy acquired Greeley Gas operations in Colorado and Kansas. 1997: Atmos Energy doubled in size to one million customers through its merger with . . . . . . . . . . . wellhead sales revenues, severance taxes, property taxes and royalty-owner revenues. Atmos Energy and our minority partner, Kinzer Drilling Company, plan to invest between $75 million and $80 million in the project. N e w r a t e d e s i g N s h o u l d h e l p u t i l i t y s e g m e N t Extremely volatile natural gas prices, one of the warmest winters on record and two of the worst hurricanes in American history strained our utility business by adding operating costs and lowering utility revenues. to write off our irrigation properties in West Texas. The volumes of natural gas we deliver for irrigation pumping in Texas have continued to decline year after year and were not expected to generate enough cash flow from operations to recover our net investment. On the positive side, our biggest financial success came in breakthroughs in rate design in our utility segment. These changes should help return our utility to strong performance in fiscal 2007 and beyond. We secured protection from weather in our two largest divisions. In Texas, the We cannot control the weather and we cannot control the cost of natural gas; however, we can control how we address adverse situations. 16 – 17 Railroad Commission granted our Mid-Tex Division a weather normalization adjustment as part of a pending rate case. In Louisiana, the Public Service Commission allowed new rate provisions that protect our margins from warm winter weather, declining customer use and greater conservation. In particular, unseasonably warm winter weather, which was 13 percent warmer than normal, reduced our utility earnings. Net income from utility operations fell to $53.0 million from $81.1 million in fiscal 2005. In addition, we lost approximately 230,000 utility customers in Louisiana until service could be restored after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. About 26,500 of these customers became permanent losses with no plans for rebuilding homes or businesses. Utility earnings also were reduced by a nonrecurring after-tax charge of $14.6 million, or 18 cents per diluted share, As a result of these changes, more than 90 percent of our customer margins are now substantially insulated from the effects of adverse weather. This has been a primary goal to help safeguard our earnings. We cannot control the weather and we cannot control the cost of natural gas; however, we can control how we address adverse situations. We believe that implementing sound rate-design principles benefits both the company and our customers over the long term. K e e p i N g r a t e s c u r r e N t In Texas, we also continued to refresh our rates under the state’s Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program, or GRIP. The program authorizes utilities to earn a rate of return on their incremental annual capital investments. It also reduces the regulatory lag time between when we make an investment and when we begin earning a return on it. Since 2003, we have been able to increase base rates in Texas under GRIP by about $190 million while earning about $36 million in allowed return on that investment. In Missouri, we reached a tentative settlement in a rate case seeking an We filed a number of rate cases during 2006, seeking rate increases and weather normalization adjustments as well as provisions to compensate for declining customer use and to recoup our costs for the natural gas consumed by customers with uncollectible accounts. In Louisiana, the Public Service Commission acted quickly to allow a rate increase, subject to refund, of $10.8 million. The increase covered customer losses in Katrina-affected parishes and increases in rate base and operating expenses. Our most significant rate filing was for a $60 million increase in Texas by our Mid-Tex Division to recover increases in the division’s operating costs and its allowed rate of return. A decision is due no later than April 2007. e a r N i N g s r e V i e w 2 8 . 1 $ 2 7 . 1 $ 4 5 . 1 $ 8 5 . 1 $ 5 4 . 1 $ $ 2.00 1.60 1.20 .80 .4 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 Net income per diluted share 193569Atmos Energy Marketing added the city of Hamilton, Ohio (population 61,000), to its more than 1,000 municipal and industrial customers. Atmos Energy’s Kentucky Division was named one of the 20 best places to work in the state, coming in 12th. Atmos Energy helped create two statues in West Texas to commemorate the fallen space shuttle Columbia. The statue of pilot William McCool stands in Lubbock, and the statue of shuttle commander Rick Husband stands in Amarillo. Together, their upraised hands point to the trajectory of the shuttle and her crew’s final mission. . . . . . United Cities Gas Company. 2001: Woodward Marketing became a wholly owned subsidiary, greatly expanding the company’s nonutility business. 2002: Mississippi Valley Gas, the state’s largest gas supplier, was acquired. 2004: Atmos Energy acquired the operations of TXU Gas in Texas, becoming . . . . . . . . . . . 18 – 19 increase of $3.4 million. Significantly, the commission staff has agreed to support a fixed monthly delivery charge, which would allow us to earn our residential margins regardless of customers’ usage. A final decision in the case is expected in March 2007. In a contested case, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority ordered a $6.1 million reduction in our base rates, effective December 1, 2006. Because the company had absorbed a decade of inflation and expenses for system improvements without seeking a rate increase, we believe the current rates are deficient. We are continuing to analyze our rate strategy in Tennessee. s u c c e s s a N d i N d e p e N d e N c e Strategic innovation has always set our company apart. For example, in 1986, the company was still a regional utility in West Texas with a complementary irrigation business. That year, CEO Charles Vaughan made a tender offer to acquire Trans Louisiana Gas Company. It was a bold step that set the course for the company’s future growth. “We had to do something because our service area was not growing,” Vaughan said. “We had to buy something—or be bought ourselves.” Vaughan chose to diversify the company’s operations into other states but to maintain its basic strategy as a regulated local distribution company. 8 1 . 1 $ 0 2 . 1 $ 2 2 . 1 $ 4 2 . 1 $ 6 2 . 1 $ 8 2 . 1 $ c a s h d i V i d e N d s p e r s h a r e $ 1. 4 0 1. 2 0 1. 0 0 . 8 0 . 6 0 . 4 0 . 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 7 20 07 dividend is the indicated rate Other successful acquisitions followed that confirmed the corporate vision and the long-standing belief in independence by our board of directors. Charles Vaughan set the dual hallmarks of financial success and corporate independence by which we operate today. Atmos Energy has continued to expand, largely through mergers and acquisitions, to become the largest all- natural-gas distribution company in the country. Our 10 major acquisitions to date not only have bolstered our core utility business, but also have provided valuable diversification. In particular, our acquisition in 2001 of the balance of Woodward Marketing has proved to be one of our best steps. We acquired one of the country’s leading and most respected mid-tier natural gas marketing companies. Under JD Woodward’s leadership, we greatly expanded the scope and scale of our nonutility business. In 2004, we acquired the operations of TXU Gas Company. Not only did we obtain one of the most dynamic markets for natural gas distribution—Dallas-Fort Worth is now the nation’s fourth largest metropolitan statistical area, but we also core business. And we will remain active in using acquisitions as an engine of future growth. However, we expect to be even more selective to find the right fit of properties. We will invest most of our future growth capital in states with timely and adequate rates of return as well as in new nonutility projects. We expect our capital expenditures in fiscal 2007 will be between $425 million and $440 million, as compared to $425.3 million in fiscal 2006. I am confident that we are in a better position today than at any time in our past. s t r a t e g i c f o c u s acquired a highly valuable intrastate gas pipeline system. Today, it is yielding superior returns in our pipeline and storage segment while offering growth due to the extensive rate of gas drilling in Texas and the producers’ needs to transport the gas to markets. As Atmos Energy enters its second century, our strategic focus remains fixed on being financially successful by profitably delivering natural gas to our customers. We expect our earnings in fiscal 2007 to grow at our stated goal of 4 percent to 6 percent a year, on average. Our utility operations will remain our We will continue to work for federal laws to increase our country’s natural gas supply in order to moderate gas prices. Towards this end, our interests are aligned perfectly with our customers’ interests. We both want reasonable gas costs and lower volatility in gas prices. Today, Atmos Energy is in an excellent position to expand its core business, stabilize its earnings and take advantage of its complementary strategy. We are pursuing consistent and focused strategies 261,00020When it comes to helping our communities, Atmos Energy digs deep. Working with Habitat for Humanity, our employees have helped build 186 homes so far in our service area. Among American single- family homes, 69 percent feature natural gas heating. m a N a g e m e N t t r i b u t e s . . . . . the largest all-natural-gas distributor in the U.S. 2006: The Environmental Protection Agency honored the company for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 20 – 21 to benefit our shareholders, customers and employees. Furthermore, natural gas remains the most valued energy source in American homes and businesses, offering comfort, convenience and efficiency. For all these reasons, I am confident that we are in a better position today than at any time in our past. i N o b s e r V a N c e o f o u r c e N t e N N i a l We have many reasons to celebrate Atmos Energy’s 100th anniversary. But the one that’s most important to me is our company’s culture of developing exceptional employees. They produced innovative solutions and found market opportunities that yielded our strong results in 2006 while they maintained the high level of service that we take pride in. Our employees took care of their customers and their fellow employees in a time of suffering and need. Only hours after Hurricane Katrina devastated southern Louisiana and parts of Mississippi, our employees—more than 50 of whom lost their own homes— were in the field to ensure safety, to begin restoration where possible and to help their neighbors. For weeks thereafter, more than 450 of our employees from across our system worked up to 18-hour days under dangerous and difficult conditions. It is a fitting tribute to all our employees that the natural gas that powered the pumps to drain the toxic waters from New Orleans and to begin the healing came from Atmos Energy. Local teams of employees from every operation joined together to “adopt” the families of our employees who lost their homes, autos and belongings. They held fundraisers, donated clothing, furniture, toys and supplies and went to the destroyed communities to help them rebuild their lives. Above all, they gave personal encouragement and strength to sustain their fellow employees through a difficult time. Our first commitment always is to serve—safely, reliably and efficiently. This commitment ensures the value and integrity of your investment. It provides the confidence on which our enterprise has been built during the past 100 years. Even as our business and our employees change, service remains our defining mission. Robert W. Best Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer November 22, 2006 r. earl fischer—spent 44 years with Atmos Energy and Western Kentucky Gas (WKG) Company. He served in accounting and operational management positions at WKG, where he tirelessly promoted the state’s economic development, recruiting the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant, the Mid- America Air Park and a dozen major companies. He was promoted to president of WKG in 1989. In 1998, he was named president of our West Texas Division, then known as Energas, and later became senior vice president, utility operations. Earl led our utility operations through many changes in the industry, dealing with volatile gas prices, system conversions and major acquisitions. He has truly been dedicated to the people we serve through his extensive civic and charitable work. Larger than life, and always a lot of fun, he leaves us a living legacy in the many young managers he has selected and developed over the years. We wish Earl and his wife, Sally, all the best. Kim r. cocklin—assumed the responsibilities as senior vice president, utility operations, and a member of the Management Committee on October 1. Before joining Atmos Energy, Kim was senior vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer for Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. At Piedmont, he was responsible for all legal, governmental and community affairs, corporate communications and Sarbanes- Oxley compliance. Earlier, Kim worked for The Williams Companies for 19 years. He served as senior vice president in charge of planning, rates and regulatory, and business development for Williams Gas Pipeline and in other executive positions. Kim brings extensive experience in both the utility-distribution and gas-pipeline businesses. His management philosophy reflects our own corporate culture, making him a valuable addition to our senior management team. gene c. Koonce—Atmos Energy Corporation has benefited for nearly a decade from the wisdom and insights of Gene C. Koonce. Gene joined our board of directors in 1997 after our merger with United Cities Gas Company, where he had served as chairman, president and chief executive officer for 20 years. A long-time industry leader, Gene was also a distinguished community servant in the Greater Nashville area and across Tennessee. In February 2007, Gene will retire from the board, and we wish him and his wife, Bettye, our very best. Two members of Atmos Energy Corporation’s senior Management Committee retired during 2006. JD Woodward, who led our nonutility business, retired on April 1, and R. Earl Fischer, who led our utility operations, retired on September 30. Jd woodward—began working with Atmos Energy in 1997 after our merger with United Cities Gas Company. United Cities had owned 45 percent of his company, Woodward Marketing LLC. The relationship was so beneficial that we acquired the remaining interest in his company in 2001, and JD joined us as senior vice president, nonutility operations. He significantly expanded our gas marketing business into 22 states and developed our pipeline and storage operations into a separate business segment that is making major contributions to our earnings. We are greatly indebted to him for all that he did to help Atmos Energy grow and succeed. We wish JD and his wife, Linda, much happiness. mark h. Johnson—who joined Woodward Marketing in 1992 as vice president of marketing and operations, succeeded JD Woodward as senior vice president, nonutility operations, and as a member of our Management Committee. Mark, a petroleum engineer by training, is a highly experienced leader in gas marketing, trading, storage and financial hedging. He previously had served in a number of executive positions with Woodward Marketing and Atmos Energy Marketing. He brings a dynamic style and clear focus to his job. 18669 f i N a N c i a l h i g h l i g h t s a t m o s e N e r g y a t a g l a N c e Year Ended September 30 Dollars in thousands, except per share data Operating revenues Gross profit Utility net income Natural gas marketing net income Pipeline and storage net income Other nonutility net income Total Total assets Total capitalization* Net income per share – diluted Cash dividends per share Book value per share at end of year 2 2 – 2 3 Consolidated utility segment throughput (MMcf) Consolidated natural gas marketing segment throughput (MMcf) Consolidated pipeline and storage segment transportation volumes (MMcf) Heating degree days Degree days as a percentage of normal Meters in service at end of year Return on average shareholders’ equity Shareholders’ equity as a percentage of total capitalization (including short-term debt) at end of year Shareholders of record Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted (000s) * Total capitalization represents the sum of shareholders’ equity and long-term debt, excluding current maturities. 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 c h a n g e $ 6,152,363 $ 1,216,570 $ 4,961,873 $ 1,117,637 $ 53,002 58,566 35,624 545 $ 81,117 23,404 30,599 665 $ 147,737 $ 135,785 $ 5,719,547 $ 5,653,527 1.82 $ 3,828,460 $ $ $ 20.16 1.26 393,995 283,962 420,217 2,527 $ 3,785,526 $ $ $ 1.72 1.24 19.90 411,134 238,097 383,377 2,587 87% 89% 3,181,199 3,157,840 8.9% 9.0% 39.1% 40.7% 24,690 81,390 26,242 79,012 24.0% 8.9% -34.7% 150.2% 16.4% -18.0% 8.8% 1.2% 1.1% 5.8% 1.6% 1.3% -4.2% 19.3% 9.6% -2.3% -2.2% 0.7% -1.1% -3.9% -5.9% 3.0% s u m m a r y a N N u a l r e p o r t The financial information presented in this report about Atmos Energy Corporation is condensed. Our complete financial statements, including notes as well as management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, are presented in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Atmos Energy’s chief executive officer and its chief financial officer have executed all certifications with respect to the financial statements contained therein and have completed management’s report on internal control over financial reporting, which are required under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all related rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors may request, without charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006, by calling Shareholder Relations at 972-855-3729 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time. Our Form 10-K also is available on Atmos Energy’s Web site at www.atmosenergy.com. Additional investor information is presented on page 32 of this report. Year Ended September 30 Meters in service Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Public authority and other Total meters Heating degree days Actual (weighted average) Percent of normal Utility sales volumes (MMcf) Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Public authority and other Total Utility transportation volumes (MMcf) Total utility throughput (MMcf) Intersegment activity (MMcf) Consolidated utility throughput (MMcf) Consolidated natural gas marketing throughput (MMcf) Consolidated pipeline transportation volumes (MMcf) Operating revenues (000s) Gas utility sales revenues Residential Commercial Industrial Agricultural Public authority and other Total gas sales revenues Transportation revenues Other gas revenues Total utility revenues Natural gas marketing revenues Pipeline and storage revenues Other nonutility revenues Total operating revenues (000s) Other statistics Gross plant (000s) Net plant (000s) Miles of pipe Employees 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 2,886,042 275,577 2,862,822 274,536 2,661 8,714 8,205 2,715 9,639 8,128 3,181,199 3,157,840 2,527 87% 2,587 89% 144,780 162,016 87,006 26,161 5,629 8,457 92,401 29,434 3,348 9,084 272,033 296,283 126,960 398,993 (4,998) 393,995 283,962 420,217 122,098 418,381 (7,247) 411,134 238,097 383,377 $ 2,068,736 $ 1,791,172 1,061,783 276,186 40,664 103,936 869,722 229,649 27,889 86,853 3,551,305 3,005,285 61,475 37,071 3,649,851 2,418,856 81,857 1,799 58,897 37,859 3,102,041 1,783,926 73,880 2,026 $ 6,152,363 $ 4,961,873 $ 5,101,308 $ 4,765,610 $ 3,629,156 $ 3,374,367 81,996 4,632 81,604 4,543 c o N d e N s e d c o N s o l i d a t e d b a l a N c e s h e e t s c o N d e N s e d c o N s o l i d a t e d s t a t e m e N t s o f i N c o m e 24 – 25 September 30 Dollars in thousands, except per share data Assets Property, plant and equipment Construction in progress Less accumulated depreciation and amortization Net property, plant and equipment Current assets Cash and cash equivalents Cash held on deposit in margin account Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $13,686 in 2006 and $15,613 in 2005 Gas stored underground Other current assets Total current assets Goodwill and intangible assets Deferred charges and other assets Capitalization and Liabilities Shareholders’ equity Common stock, no par value (stated at $.005 per share); 200,000,000 shares authorized, issued and outstanding: 2006 – 81,739,516 shares, 2005 – 80,539,401 shares Additional paid-in capital Accumulated other comprehensive loss Retained earnings Shareholders’ equity Long-term debt Total capitalization Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Other current liabilities Short-term debt Current maturities of long-term debt Total current liabilities Deferred income taxes Regulatory cost of removal obligation Deferred credits and other liabilities 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 Dollars in thousands, except per share data 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 4 Year Ended September 30 $ 5,026,478 $ 4,631,684 74,830 5,101,308 1,472,152 3,629,156 75,815 35,647 374,629 461,502 169,952 133,926 4,765,610 1,391,243 3,374,367 40,116 80,956 454,313 450,807 238,238 1,117,545 1,264,430 738,521 234,325 737,787 276,943 $ 5,719,547 $ 5,653,527 $ 409 $ 403 1,467,240 1,426,523 (43,850) 224,299 1,648,098 2,180,362 3,828,460 345,108 388,451 382,416 3,186 (3,341) 178,837 1,602,422 2,183,104 3,785,526 461,314 503,368 144,809 3,264 1,119,161 1,112,755 306,172 261,376 204,378 292,207 263,424 199,615 $ 5,719,547 $ 5,653,527 Operating revenues Utility segment Natural gas marketing segment Pipeline and storage segment Other nonutility segment Intersegment eliminations Purchased gas cost Utility segment Natural gas marketing segment Pipeline and storage segment Other nonutility segment Intersegment eliminations Gross profit Operating expenses Operation and maintenance Depreciation and amortization Taxes, other than income Impairment of long-lived assets Total operating expenses Operating income Miscellaneous income Interest charges Income before income taxes Income tax expense Net income Per share data Basic net income per share Diluted net income per share Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic Diluted $ 3,650,591 $ 3,103,140 $ 1,637,728 3,156,524 2,106,278 1,618,602 160,567 5,898 153,289 5,302 19,758 3,393 (821,217) (406,136) (359,444) 6,152,363 4,961,873 2,920,037 2,725,534 3,025,897 838 — 2,195,774 2,044,305 6,811 — 1,134,594 1,571,971 9,383 — (816,476) (402,654) (358,102) 4,935,793 1,216,570 3,844,236 2,357,846 1,117,637 562,191 433,418 185,596 191,993 22,947 833,954 382,616 881 146,607 236,890 89,153 416,281 178,005 174,696 — 768,982 348,655 2,021 132,658 218,018 82,233 214,470 96,647 57,379 — 368,496 193,695 9,507 65,437 137,765 51,538 $ 147,737 $ 135,785 $ 86,227 $ $ 1.83 1.82 $ $ 1.73 1.72 $ $ 1.60 1.58 80,731 81,390 78,508 79,012 54,021 54,416 c o N d e N s e d c o N s o l i d a t e d s t a t e m e N t s o f c a s h f l o w s r e p o r t o f i N d e p e N d e N t r e g i s t e r e d p u b l i c a c c o u N t i N g f i r m Year Ended September 30 Dollars in thousands Cash Flows from Operating Activities Net income Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Gain on sales of assets Impairment of long-lived assets Depreciation and amortization: Charged to depreciation and amortization Charged to other accounts Deferred income taxes Other Changes in assets and liabilities Net cash provided by operating activities Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities Capital expenditures Acquisitions, net of cash received Other, net Proceeds from sales of assets Net cash used in investing activities Cash Flows from Financing Activities Net increase (decrease) in short-term debt Net proceeds from issuance of long-term debt Settlement of Treasury lock agreements Repayment of long-term debt Cash dividends paid Issuance of common stock Net proceeds from equity offering Net cash provided by financing activities Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 26 – 27 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 4 $ 147,737 $ 135,785 $ 86,227 — 22,947 — — 185,596 178,005 371 86,178 18,480 (149,860) 311,449 791 12,669 11,522 48,172 (6,700) — 96,647 1,465 36,997 (1,772) 57,870 386,944 270,734 (425,324) (333,183) (190,285) — (1,916,696) (5,767) — (2,131) — (1,957) (570) 27,919 (431,091) (2,252,010) (164,893) 237,607 144,809 (118,595) — — (3,264) (102,275) 23,273 — 1,385,847 (43,770) (103,425) (98,978) 37,183 381,584 155,341 1,703,250 35,699 40,116 (161,816) 201,932 5,000 — (9,713) (66,736) 34,715 235,737 80,408 186,249 15,683 $ 75,815 $ 40,116 $ 201,932 The Board of Directors Atmos Energy Corporation We have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Atmos Energy Corporation at September 30, 2006 and 2005, and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended September 30, 2006 (not presented herein); and in our report dated November 20, 2006, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated financial statements from which it has been derived. Dallas, Texas November 20, 2006 c o N s o l i d a t e d f i N a N c i a l a N d s t a t i s t i c a l s u m m a r y ( 2 0 0 2 - 2 0 0 6 ) f o r w a r d - l o o K i N g s t a t e m e N t s The matters discussed or incorporated by reference in this Summary Annual Report may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this report are forward-looking statements made in good faith by the Company and are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this report or any other of the Company’s documents or oral presentations, the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “objective,” “plan,” “projection,” “seek,” “strategy” or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this report. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006. Although the Company believes these forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will approximate actual experience or that the expectations derived from them will be realized. Further, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 28 – 29 Year Ended September 30 Balance Sheet Data at September 30 (000s) Capital expenditures Net property, plant and equipment Working capital Total assets Shareholders’ equity Long-term debt, excluding current maturities Total capitalization Income Statement Data Operating revenues (000s) Gross profit (000s) Net income (000s) Net income per diluted share Common Stock Data Shares outstanding (000s) End of year Weighted average Cash dividends per share Shareholders of record Market price – High Low End of year Book value per share at end of year Price/Earnings ratio at end of year Market/Book ratio at end of year Annualized dividend yield at end of year Customers and Volumes (as metered) Consolidated utility gas sales volumes (MMcf) Consolidated utility gas transportation volumes (MMcf) Consolidated utility throughput (MMcf) Consolidated natural gas marketing throughput (MMcf) Consolidated pipeline transportation volumes (MMcf) Meters in service at end of year Heating degree days* Degree days as a percentage of normal Utility average cost of gas per Mcf sold Utility average transportation fee per Mcf Statistics Return on average shareholders’ equity Number of employees Net utility plant per meter Utility operation and maintenance expense per meter Meters per employee – utility Times interest earned before income taxes 2 0 0 6 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 2 $ 425,324 3,629,156 (1,616) 5,719,547 1,648,098 2,180,362 3,828,460 $ 333,183 3,374,367 151,675 5,653,527 1,602,422 2,183,104 3,785,526 $ 190,285 1,722,521 283,310 2,912,627 1,133,459 861,311 1,994,770 $ 159,439 1,624,394 16,248 2,625,495 857,517 862,500 1,720,017 $ 132,252 1,380,070 (139,150) 2,059,631 573,235 668,959 1,242,194 $ 6,152,363 1,216,570 147,737 1.82 $ 4,961,873 1,117,637 135,785 1.72 $ 2,920,037 562,191 86,227 1.58 $ 2,799,916 534,976 71,688 1.54 $ 1,650,964 431,140 59,656 1.45 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 81,740 81,390 1.26 24,690 29.11 25.79 28.55 20.16 15.69 1.42 4.4% $ $ $ $ $ 80,539 79,012 1.24 26,242 29.76 24.85 28.25 19.90 16.42 1.42 4.4% $ $ $ $ $ 62,800 54,416 1.22 27,555 26.86 23.68 25.19 18.05 15.94 1.40 4.8% $ $ $ $ $ 51,476 46,496 1.20 28,510 25.45 20.70 23.94 16.66 15.55 1.44 5.0% $ $ $ $ $ 41,676 41,250 1.18 28,829 24.46 18.37 21.50 13.75 14.83 1.56 5.5% 272,033 296,283 173,219 184,512 145,488 121,962 393,995 114,851 411,134 72,814 246,033 63,453 247,965 63,053 208,541 283,962 238,097 222,572 225,961 204,027 420,217 3,181,199 2,527 383,377 3,157,840 2,587 — 1,679,136 3,271 — 1,672,798 3,473 — 1,389,341 3,368 87% 10.02 .49 8.9% 4,632 969 112 723 2.55 $ $ $ $ 89% 7.41 .49 $ $ 96% 6.55 .36 $ $ 101% 5.76 .43 $ $ 9.0% 4,543 927 110 730 2.59 $ $ 9.1% 2,864 994 116 612 3.05 $ $ 9.9% 2,905 930 115 594 2.75 $ $ 94% 3.87 .41 9.9% 2,338 939 101 616 2.55 *Heating degree days are adjusted for service areas with weather-normalized operations. a t m o s e N e r g y o f f i c e r s b o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s s e N i o r m a N a g e m e N t t e a m u t i l i t y d i V i s i o N s robert w. best Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer J. patrick reddy Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kim r. cocklin Senior Vice President, Utility Operations mark h. Johnson Senior Vice President, Nonutility Operations louis p. gregory Senior Vice President and General Counsel wynn d. mcgregor Senior Vice President, Human Resources 3 0 – 31 J. Kevin akers President, Mississippi Division richard a. erskine President, Mid-Tex Division President, Atmos Pipeline–Texas Division gary w. gregory President, West Texas Division tom s. hawkins, Jr. President, Louisiana Division John a. paris President, Kentucky and Mid-States Division gary l. schlessman President, Colorado-Kansas Division N o N u t i l i t y o p e r a t i o N s mark h. Johnson President, Atmos Energy Marketing, LLC ronald w. mcdowell Vice President, New Business Ventures s h a r e d s e r V i c e s Verlon r. aston, Jr. Vice President, Governmental and Public Affairs cindy a. foor Vice President, Corporate Communications susan Kappes giles Vice President, Investor Relations conrad e. gruber Vice President, Strategic Planning dwala J. Kuhn Corporate Secretary fred e. meisenheimer Vice President and Controller laurie m. sherwood Vice President, Corporate Development, and Treasurer travis w. bain ii Chairman, Texas Custom Pools, Inc. Plano, Texas Board member since 1988 Committees: Work Session/Annual Meeting (Chairman), Audit, Human Resources robert w. best Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Atmos Energy Corporation Dallas, Texas Board member since 1997 Committee: Executive dan busbee Adjunct Professor, Dedman School of Law, Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas Board member since 1988 Committees: Audit (Chairman), Human Resources richard w. cardin Retired partner of Arthur Andersen LLP Nashville, Tennessee Board member since 1997 Committees: Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance thomas J. garland Chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy Greeneville, Tennessee Board member since 1997 Committees: Human Resources, Work Session/Annual Meeting richard K. gordon General Partner, Juniper Energy LP, Juniper Capital LP and Juniper Advisory LP Houston, Texas Board member since 2001 Committees: Human Resources, Nominating and Corporate Governance gene c. Koonce Retired Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, United Cities Gas Company Nashville, Tennessee Board member since 1997 Committees: Human Resources (Chairman), Executive, Work Session/Annual Meeting dr. thomas c. meredith Commissioner of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Jackson, Mississippi Board member since 1995 Committees: Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance phillip e. Nichol Retired Senior Vice President of Central Division Staff UBS PaineWebber Incorporated Dallas, Texas Board member since 1985 Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance (Chairman), Human Resources, Work Session/ Annual Meeting Nancy K. Quinn Principal, Hanover Capital, LLC East Hampton, New York Board member since 2004 Committees: Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance stephen r. springer Retired Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mid-Stream Division The Williams Companies, Inc. Syracuse, Indiana Board member since 2005 Committee: Work Session/Annual Meeting charles K. Vaughan Retired Chairman of the Board Atmos Energy Corporation Dallas, Texas Board member since 1983 Committee: Executive (Chairman) richard ware ii President, Amarillo National Bank Amarillo, Texas Board member since 1994 Committees: Nominating and Corporate Governance, Work Session/Annual Meeting lee e. schlessman Honorary Director President, Dolo Investment Company Denver, Colorado Retired from Board in 1998 c o r p o r a t e i N f o r m a t i o N c o m m o N s t o c K l i s t i N g a N N u a l m e e t i N g o f s h a r e h o l d e r s New York Stock Exchange. Trading symbol: ATO s t o c K t r a N s f e r a g e N t a N d r e g i s t r a r American Stock Transfer and Trust Company 59 Maiden Lane Plaza Level New York, New York 10038 800-543-3038 To inquire about your Atmos Energy stock, please call AST at the telephone number above. You may use the agent’s interactive voice response system 24 hours a day to learn about transferring stock or to check your recent account activity—all without the assistance of a customer service representative. Please have available your Atmos Energy shareholder account number and your Social Security or federal taxpayer ID number. To speak to an AST customer service representative, please call the same number between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Thursday, or 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time on Friday. You also may send an e-mail message on our agent’s Web site at http://www.amstock. com. Please refer to Atmos Energy in your e-mail and include your Atmos Energy shareholder account number and your Social Security or federal taxpayer ID number. i N d e p e N d e N t r e g i s t e r e d p u b l i c a c c o u N t i N g f i r m Ernst & Young LLP 2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 1500 Dallas, Texas 75201 214-969-8000 f o r m 1 0 - K Atmos Energy Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K is available at no charge from Shareholder Relations, Atmos Energy Corporation, P.O. Box 650205, Dallas, Texas 75265-0205 or by calling 972-855-3729 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time. Atmos Energy’s Form 10-K also may be viewed on Atmos Energy’s Web site at http://www.atmosenergy.com. The 2007 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held in the Symphony Ballroom at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 on Wednesday, February 7, 2007, at 11 a.m. Central time. d i r e c t s t o c K p u r c h a s e p l a N Atmos Energy Corporation has a Direct Stock Purchase Plan that is available to all investors. For an Enrollment Application Form and a Plan Prospectus, please call AST at 800-543-3038. The Prospectus is also available on the Internet at http://www.atmosenergy.com. You may also obtain information by writing to Shareholder Relations, Atmos Energy Corporation, P.O. Box 650205, Dallas, Texas 75265-0205. This is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation to buy, any securities of Atmos Energy Corporation. Shares of Atmos Energy common stock purchased through the Direct Stock Purchase Plan will be offered only by Prospectus. a t m o s e N e r g y o N t h e i N t e r N e t Information about Atmos Energy is available on the Internet at http://www.atmosenergy.com. Our Web site includes news releases, current and historical financial reports, other investor data, corporate governance documents, management biographies, customer information and facts about Atmos Energy’s operations. a t m o s e N e r g y c o r p o r a t i o N c o N t a c t s To contact Atmos Energy’s Shareholder Relations, call 972-855-3729 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time or send an e-mail message to InvestorRelations@atmosenergy.com. Securities analysts and investment managers, please contact: Susan Kappes Giles Vice President, Investor Relations 972-855-3729 972-855-3040 (fax) InvestorRelations@atmosenergy.com © 2006 by Atmos Energy Corporation. All rights reserved. Atmos Energy® is a registered trademark, and Atmos Energy–The Spirit of Service® is a registered service mark of Atmos Energy Corporation. 32 – 3 3 You can view this Summary Annual Report, our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other financial documents for fiscal 2006 and previous years on our Web site at www.atmosenergy.com. If you are a shareholder who would like to receive our Summary Annual Report and other company documents in the future electronically, please sign up for electronic distribution. It’s convenient and easy and will save costs in producing and distributing these materials. To receive these documents over the Internet next year, please visit www.amstock.com and access your account to give your consent. Please remember that accessing the Summary Annual Report and other company documents over the Internet may result in charges to you from your Internet service provider or telephone company. Cover: Atmos Energy has changed in size and technology since its origins in the horse-and-wagon era a century ago. However, its mission of service remains as central as ever, as represented by Operations Manager Lou Ann Goldie, General Plant Operator Jerry Christensen, Human Resources Analyst Amy Kuan and Operations Supervisor Roy Moss. Atmos Energy Corporation P.O. Box 650205 Dallas, Texas 75265-0205 www.atmosenergy.com 972-934-9227 

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