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National Fuel Gas Company

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FY2018 Annual Report · National Fuel Gas Company
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NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY

Summary Annual Report 2018

RON TANSKI
President and  
Chief Executive Officer

Ron stands on the construction  
right-of-way for Supply Corporation’s 
YM28 and FM120 Modernization 
Project in McKean County, Pa. This 
approximately $40-million investment 
in new pipeline infrastructure 
exemplifies National Fuel’s 
continuing efforts to enhance 
the safety and reliability of its 
transmission, storage, and 
distribution systems across 
its operating footprint 
in New York and 
Pennsylvania.

DEAR SHAREHOLDERS,

I am pleased to share with you the results 
of another strong fiscal year. I am also 
happy to discuss a number of positive 
developments across our operating segments 
that provide the Company with significant 
opportunities for continued growth.

These developments highlight the resilience of 
National Fuel’s business model and the dedication of 
the Company’s employees to providing a strong return 
on investment for our shareholders, ensuring safe 
and reliable service for our customers, and meeting 
the rising challenges in today’s energy industry.

Our operating strengths are underpinned by a 
strong balance sheet, which provides National Fuel 
a solid base to support ongoing growth and gives 
us the ability to pull forward the value of our large, 
integrated Appalachian asset base. Over the past 
three years, our cumulative cash from operations 
and asset sales exceeded our capital expenditures by 
nearly $500 million, and we returned approximately 
$400 million of that amount to our shareholders through 
our long-standing dividend, which we increased for 
the 48th consecutive year.

Across our various business segments, we are well-
positioned for continued success. Despite significant 
regulatory hurdles placed in our path, our Pipeline & 
Storage business has continued to create meaningful 
opportunities for further expansion that leverage  
our geographic location within the Marcellus and 
Utica shales. Our 490,000 Dekatherm (Dth)-per-
day Northern Access project remains important but 
continues to face challenges in New York State. Our 
pipeline development efforts during the past year, 
therefore, were focused in Pennsylvania, culminating in 
the announcement of a $280-million project involving 
our FM100 pipeline. In addition to growing our Pipeline 
& Storage business, this modernization and expansion 
project, in conjunction with an interstate pipeline 
project under development by Transco, will provide 
an important outlet for Seneca Resources’ growing 
natural gas production, allowing it to reach premium 
markets. We are targeting calendar 2021 for the 
startup of this 330,000 Dth-per-day project. We are 
also continuing to move forward with our 205,000 
Dth-per-day Empire North project, targeting a 2020 
completion date for this $145-million investment.

As our interstate pipeline projects move through 
their phases of development, we expect average 
annual production growth of 15 to 20 percent over 
the next four years in our Exploration & Production 

segment, driven by Seneca’s addition of a third drilling 
rig this past May. Gathering segment revenues are 
expected to grow at a similar pace. We will continue 
our transition to development of the Utica Shale 
in our Western Development Area, returning to 
existing Marcellus pads to drill new wells in the deeper 
Utica formation. This is expected to drive enhanced 
consolidated returns and minimize our environmental 
footprint. In our Eastern Development Area, the 
commissioning of Transco’s Atlantic Sunrise project 
in October provided the Company with an important 
pipeline outlet to allow further development of our 
prolific acreage in Lycoming County, Pa.

In our Utility segment, we continue to invest in the 
safety and reliability of our pipeline distribution system. 
Having invested approximately $70 million on those 
efforts in fiscal 2018 and approximately $300 million 
over the past five years, we expect to continue this 
pace of activity over the next several years.

As we look forward, we envision significant 
opportunities to invest in our regulated businesses, 
expanding and modernizing our transmission, storage, 
and distribution assets, with the potential to deploy 
$1.5 billion over the next four to five years. In the 
Exploration and Production business, Seneca’s acreage 
position remains one of the largest in the basin and, 
as a proven low-cost producer with the vast majority 
of our natural gas rights owned in fee, we have the 

ability to capitalize on opportunities as pricing and 
returns warrant.

I expect that our plans for the continued growth of 
our integrated businesses will provide significant value 
for both our shareholders and customers, but those 
plans will not come without challenges. Consumers 
across North America love their access to affordable 
energy supplies that are abundant, safe, and secure. 
More and more, they are expecting the energy they 
use to leave a smaller and smaller carbon footprint; 
however, the average consumer gives surprisingly little 
thought to how their energy is sourced or generated. 
Many vocal “environmental groups” and public 
policymakers, meanwhile, are stepping up campaigns 
to reshape the energy grids across North America 
and the rest of the world. Although the U.S. Energy 
Information Administration’s 2018 Annual Energy 
Outlook demonstrates a growing need for natural 
gas in the national energy picture through 2050, New 
York regulators and “environmentalists” continue their 
attempts to block the construction of critical natural 
gas infrastructure, preventing natural gas production 
from reaching demonstrable areas of need.

The impacts of the lack of available pipeline capacity 
were on display in January 2018, when a severe 
weather event necessitated the import of Russian 
liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the Boston area 
despite the availability of abundant U.S. natural gas 

Discipline and Flexibility to Invest in Our Future 
Consolidated Capital Expenditures ($ Millions)

Diversity of Earnings and Cash Flows
Percent of Fiscal 2018 Operating Income by Segment

$970

$1,001

$725–$810

$583

$366

$455

2014

2015

2016*

2017*

2018*

2019E

17%

29%

39%

15%

  Exploration & Production 

  Gathering 

  Pipeline & Storage 

  Utility, Energy Marketing & All Other

*Netof$157million(2016),$7million(2017),and$17million(2018)ofupfrontproceedsfromjointdevelopmentpartner,and$21 millioninintercompany
asset transfersin2018

1

 
 
 
supplies just a few hundred miles away. Although 
domestic natural gas supplies could be used to 
significantly lower energy costs for consumers in 
the Northeast and to further reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions on a regional and national scale, they instead 
remain without a pipeline path to reach those who 
need them most.

Unmentioned by the “keep it in the ground movement” 
are the immense environmental and economic benefits 
afforded by the continued and expanded use of clean-
burning natural gas. Since 2005, the portion of the U.S. 
electric generation fleet that is fueled by natural gas 
has grown from 19 to 32 percent, largely through the 
displacement of coal-fired power plants. This dynamic 
has resulted in an approximately 14 percent reduction 
in U.S. carbon dioxide emissions over that same period. 
Appalachian natural gas production has also resulted in 
significant cost savings for consumers. You need look 
no further than the 46 percent reduction in average 
residential bills across our Utility service territories since 
the winter of 2007–08 to see the benefits afforded by 
access to this prolific resource.

I firmly believe that there is, and will continue to be, 
a need for natural gas to serve the space-heating 
requirements of our customers for the foreseeable 
future. The oft-mentioned natural gas “bridge” to 
renewables is actually a misnomer. In areas of the 
country with colder climates, such as New York and 
New England, that have higher heating loads, and 
where electricity prices are higher relative to natural 
gas, natural gas is actually a “foundation” that enables 
renewables to be part of the energy mix. Critics of 
natural gas, including state policymakers, often push 

for accelerated renewable development without 
discussion of the real world consequences, including 
cost and other environmental impacts implicated in 
such policy objectives.

In New York State alone, based on estimates of 
the Public Service Commission and the operator of 
the state electric grid, approximately 17 gigawatts 
(GW) of new renewable energy generation capacity 
is needed to meet the governor’s policy goal of 
50 percent generation of electricity from renewables 
by 2030. To put that in context, in 2016, the generating 
capacity of all New York power plants totaled about 
40 GW. In terms of scale, bridging the renewable 
power generation gap would require the installation 
of the equivalent of approximately 77 million solar 
panels covering 47,000 acres or approximately 
3,600 wind turbines covering 400,000 acres —  not 
to mention the billions of dollars of new electric 
transmission infrastructure needed to transport this 
energy to consumers.

While certain northeastern states continue to 
eschew the benefits of a secure and abundant 
supply of domestic natural gas, the rest of the world 
is embracing its use. This past June, the World Gas 
Conference was convened in Washington, D.C., and 
14,000 delegates from across the globe gathered to 
discuss the burgeoning worldwide use of natural gas 
and the development of LNG export plants in the 
U.S. to supply the growing demand. The beauty of 
the world-class interstate pipeline system in the U.S. 
is that suppliers like Seneca are able to deliver their 
produced natural gas into that system to help meet 
the demand.

Forty-Eight Years of Dividend Increases
Annual Rate at Fiscal Year-End

$1.70

$0.19

1970

1982

1994

2006

2018

$2.9 billion
dividend payments  
since 1970

2

We plan to grow our businesses over the 
coming years to meet the increasing 
national and global demand for natural 
gas. In the following pages of this 
report, you will see that we plan to keep 
operating the Company in a thoughtful, 
responsible manner.

Last year, we summarized the principles 
that have guided the Company for many 
years. Frankly, we thought that they 
went without saying, as we had walked 
the walk each day —  as you might expect 
from a company that has operated 
successfully for 116 years. The 2,100 
employees at National Fuel are the heart 
of the Company and are rooted in the areas 
where we operate —  from the bottom of 
the wellbore of the wells we drill across our 
hundreds of thousands of acres of mineral 
rights, across the landscape that our pipelines 
traverse for thousands of miles, and in the cities 
and towns where we deliver a premium fuel that 
has been the primary contributor to the 14 percent 
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions since 2005. 
Earlier this year, the Company launched our corporate 
responsibility website, which details our longstanding 
commitment to the environmentally conscious 
development, transportation, storage, and distribution 
of natural gas and oil resources. I urge you to review 
our website, available at responsibility.natfuel.com, for 
further information on the Company’s commitment to 
conducting our business responsibly.

As one of our Company’s guiding principles, 
environmental stewardship reflects our understanding 
and deep appreciation for the vital role we play 
in upholding standards of environmental protection. 
Each day this becomes increasingly important, as 
highlighted in the recently issued National Climate 
Assessment. In furtherance of our commitment to 
sustainability and environmental protection, each of 
the Company’s major subsidiaries became a participant 
in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 
Methane Challenge Program in 2018. As part of this 
program, our various businesses have committed to 
analyzing new and innovative approaches to further 
reduce emissions.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

SAFETY

We embrace a culture of safety that extends to our 
customers, employees, and communities.

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

We play a vital role in upholding standards of environmental  
protection in every area of our business.

COMMUNITY

We are committed to the health and vitality of our local 
communities.

INNOVATION

We strive to exceed the standards for safe, clean, and  
reliable energy development.

SATISFACTION

We work to deliver reliable, high-quality service and 
to address the distinct needs of our stakeholders.

TRANSPARENCY

We believe that open communication is 
key to maintaining strong relationships.

With each well we drill, every pipeline and facility we  
build, and as we continually upgrade our utility 
infrastructure, National Fuel’s employees are dedicated 
to protecting the environment and the health and 
safety of the members of our communities. I am 
confident that our dedication to these principles will 
ensure the financial strength and continued growth  
of National Fuel over the coming decades.

Ronald J. Tanski  
President and Chief Executive Officer

January 3, 2019

3

An important part of our commitment to  
the health and vitality of our local 
communities includes giving back. National 
Fuel employees have a long-standing history 
of donating their time and financial 
resources to the causes that are important 
to them. In August, we participated in the 
United Way of Buffalo and Erie County’s 
Day of Caring to help rehabilitate a Habitat 
for Humanity Buffalo-sponsored home  
on the city’s West Side, as pictured above.

Through National Fuel’s volunteerism 
program, employees dedicate their nights 
and/or weekends to many worthwhile 
causes in their communities, including 
serving at neighborhood food kitchens or  
participating in fundraising walks and 
runs. Dan Yaeger, a Senior Security 
Administrator in the Information Services 
department, said, “I’ve been committed  
to volunteering because I can see what  
a difference it can make in others’ lives, 
and also in my own life.”

In addition to countless volunteer hours, 
since 2005, the Company and its employees 
in New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and 
California, through the National Fuel 
Gas Company Foundation, have donated 
more than $18 million to 800-plus local 
and national charitable organizations. The 
Company is proud of our employees and 
the impact they make across the operating 
regions we call home.

Pictured:
Top Row
Brian Ketcheson
Denita Mungro
Christian Kanaley
Jeffrey Morris
David Ismert

Bottom Row
David Chmiel
Rachel Gebhart
Dan Yaeger
Michael Wolcott

COMMITTED TO OUR 
GUIDING PRINCIPLES

For more than a century, National Fuel has been the 
hometown energy team, providing an affordable, reliable, 
and clean-burning source of energy that fuels the daily 
lives of hundreds of thousands of families and businesses in 
western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Across our 
operating footprint in New York, Pennsylvania, and California, 
we remain committed to our corporate guiding principles of 
safety, environmental stewardship, community, innovation, 
satisfaction, and transparency. By embracing these core values 
each and every day, National Fuel plays a meaningful role in the 
environmental and economic well-being of our communities.

Over the last decade, we have invested more than $6.3 billion 
to increase the availability and accessibility of abundant 
Appalachian natural gas supplies. With our ability to explore 
across approximately 785,000 acres in Pennsylvania, largely 
underlying our existing interstate natural gas pipeline system,  
as well as use our wholly owned gathering infrastructure  
to transport each and every dekatherm (Dth) of our production, 
National Fuel is uniquely positioned to serve the growing  
energy needs of our operating territory and customers along  
the North American pipeline grid.

4

Seneca Resources’ Environmental, 
Health, Safety and Quality Team 
(EHSQ) is pictured here at a drilling 
rig in western Pennsylvania. This 
team’s responsibilities include guidance 
and support on risk mitigation as 
well as assisting in compliance with 
industry standards and regulations. 
“We are implementing practices that 
often exceed regulatory requirements 
because it is the right thing to do —  
not because we have to,” said Teresa 
Marion, EHSQ Supervisor.

Pictured:
Teresa Marion
Andy Woodward
Kyle Kline
Jeffrey Passerrello Jr.

Seneca Resources Production (Bcfe)

173.5

178.1

160.5

157.8

161.1

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION AND 
GATHERING

National Fuel’s Exploration & Production 
segment operations are carried out by Seneca 
Resources Company, LLC, with natural gas and oil 
activities focused in Pennsylvania and California, 
respectively. Our Gathering segment’s operations 
are carried out by the subsidiaries of National Fuel 
Gas Midstream Company, LLC, which transports 
Seneca’s production to interconnections with 
interstate natural gas pipelines.

In fiscal 2018, Exploration & Production 
and Gathering set Company production and 
throughput records of 178.1 Bcfe and 198.4 Bcf, 
respectively. Seneca added a third horizontal 
drilling rig in May, which we expect to drive 
production growth of approximately 24 percent 
in 2019, with Gathering revenues expected to 
grow at a similar pace. Seneca’s rig addition 
continues our transition to development of the 
Utica Shale in the Western Development Area 
(WDA), where we return to Marcellus pads to 
drill deeper Utica wells. By utilizing existing 
infrastructure, we minimize our environmental 
footprint.

In furtherance of Seneca’s efforts to limit its 
surface footprint and to reduce air emissions, we 
pioneered the use of large-scale, multi-well gas 
processing units in our Pennsylvania operations 
this past year, a first in the Appalachian basin. 
This innovative technology allows Seneca to use 
a single unit to process up to five wells, which is 
expected to lower methane emissions and reduce 
capital costs and has the potential to reduce pad 

5

Our Gathering Segment’s  
Clermont Compressor Station and  
the employees pictured above  
play important roles in transporting  
Seneca’s natural gas production to  
interconnections with interstate  
pipelines. As a fourth-generation  
industry employee, Matthew Wingard, 
Operations and Maintenance  
Supervisor, said, “I think the job  
chose me. I love being able to  
work in, protect, and develop the 
resources of the area where I grew  
up. Providing customers access to  
safe, clean, and reliable natural gas 
makes our effort and dedication to  
the job each day all worth it.”

Pictured:
Keith Gahr
Kevin Riekofsky
Matthew Wingard

6

size by nearly 30 percent. Additionally, Seneca continues to use ultrasonic 
leak detection technology to reduce emissions. With more than 100 units 
now in place, this technology remotely identifies the presence of any 
leaks, and, if necessary, immediately shuts down production for repair.

Seneca, through its subsidiary Highland Field Services, LLC, also continues 
its efforts to recycle water and fluids produced in Appalachian drilling 
operations. In fiscal 2018, Highland recycled 8.2 million barrels of produced 
fluids, allowing Seneca to use approximately 70 percent recycled water in 
its shale well completions.

In California, Seneca further reduced its carbon footprint through the 
installation of solar power facilities at its Bakersfield office. This 
investment, which is expected to save Seneca nearly $1 million in utility 
bills over the life of the equipment, follows our 2016 installation of a 
3.1-megawatt photovoltaic solar power facility at our North Midway 
Sunset Field.

PIPELINE & STORAGE

National Fuel’s Pipeline & Storage operations are carried out by National 
Fuel Gas Supply Corporation and Empire Pipeline, Inc.

Since 2010, National Fuel has invested more than $1 billion in pipeline 
system expansion and modernization projects to move low-cost 
Appalachian natural gas supplies to diverse markets served by the  
North American pipeline grid. The Company has continued developing 
new projects to leverage its existing pipeline infrastructure to  
transport production to demand centers.

In May 2018, Supply Corporation announced an expansion of its FM100 
Project. This project, combined with a companion Transco pipeline project, 

Gathering Throughput (Bcf)

194.9

198.4

162.0

138.7

139.6

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Every day, our engineers work with 
various state and federal agencies to  
minimize impacts to environmental 
resources. Wayne Graham, 
Environmental Compliance Manager  
for Supply Corporation, is responsible  
for the oversight of environmental  
permitting and compliance for pipeline 
construction projects, including  
the installation of Line KL in McKean 
County, Pa., pictured below. When  
asked what makes him most proud to  
work for National Fuel, he said,  
“A commitment from co-workers  
to do the right thing.”

Pictured:
John Cass
Taylor Adam
Wayne Graham

will provide Seneca with 330,000 Dth per day 
of incremental firm transportation capacity from 
its WDA and Eastern Development Area acreage 
positions to premium markets outside of the 
Appalachian basin. This $280-million project 
will include two new compressor stations, and 
approximately 30 miles of new pipeline facilities 
along existing pipeline corridors, minimizing 
environmental and landowner impacts. We are 
targeting the submittal of an application with the 
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 
for this project in summer 2019 and an in-service 
date of late calendar 2021.

Additionally, in 2018, Empire filed its application 
with FERC for authorization to construct its 
$145-million Empire North Project. This fully 
subscribed, 205,000-Dth-per-day project includes 
the addition of two new compressor stations. 
Empire received a positive environmental 
assessment from FERC in October 2018, keeping 
the project on track for an in-service date in 
the second half of fiscal 2020.

In addition to these larger projects, we continued 
the development of our Line N to Monaca 
Project, which will deliver fuel to a new $6-billion 
petrochemical facility in Beaver County, Pa. This 
project is expected to come online in July 2019. 
We also maintained our focus on modernizing 
the Supply Corporation pipeline system, spending 
$47 million on these efforts in fiscal 2018.

On each and every construction project, National 
Fuel’s engineers are focused on implementing 
best management practices to limit environmental 

7

National Fuel responsibly 
operates nearly 17,000 miles 
of pipeline in New York and 
Pennsylvania. These pipelines 
traverse public and private rights-
of-way, including in national 
forests and state parks, under 
streams and rivers, through 
wetlands, fields, and farms, below  
hiking and biking trails and golf 
courses, and under sidewalks, 
streets, and yards.

Technologies, such as in-line 
inspections using “smart pigs” 
and hydrostatic testing, assess 
the safety and integrity of the 
Company’s pipelines, including 
for Line X North pictured here 
at the Porterville Compressor 
Station in East Aurora, N.Y.

John Kasinski, Senior 
Engineer II, is a pipeline 
integrity manager who oversees 
these tests and procedures. As 
a second-generation employee 
whose father worked at the 
Company for nearly 40 years, 
he said, “All of the people 
I work with genuinely care 
about what they do and work 
hard to ensure pipeline safety 
for the millions of people that 
live, shop, and travel within 
the boundaries of our system 
every day.”

Pictured:
Rachael Sebesta
John Kasinski
Andrew Emhof

impacts, utilizing the best available technologies to mitigate and 
reduce emissions from our facilities, and ensuring continued safe 
and efficient operations.

UTILITY & ENERGY MARKETING

National Fuel’s Utility & Energy Marketing segments are operated by 
National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation and National Fuel Resources, 
Inc. These businesses provide natural gas service to more than 750,000 
residential, commercial, and industrial customers in New York and 
Pennsylvania.

Our Utility’s ongoing investment in the modernization of its pipeline 
delivery network —  totaling approximately $300 million over the past five 
fiscal years —  ensures the continued safety and reliability of our systems. 
This modernization has resulted in a 17.4 percent reduction in greenhouse 
gas emissions from calendar years 2012 to 2017, as reported to the EPA.

From our customer service and construction personnel to our call center 
representatives, Utility employees are dedicated to providing high-quality 
service to the communities in which they live and work. In 2018, we 
achieved impressive 92 and 93 percent residential customer satisfaction 
rates in New York and Pennsylvania, respectively.

8

In 2018, the Company provided a grant 
through its Area Development Program 
to North Delaware Holdings LLC for its 
Steelbound Brewery & Distillery located 
in Ellicottville, N.Y., pictured below. The 
project created 20 jobs and is expected 
to account for approximately 2,300 Mcf 
in incremental annual gas load, which 
will be used in the brewing and distilling 
processes and the restaurant kitchen, 
as well as to heat the building.

Cathryn Hilliard, Energy Consultant in 
the Energy Services department, assists 
commercial and industrial customers 
with their energy-related needs, including 
guiding them through the grant process.

“I am proud to work for a local company 
that provides reliable and affordable 
energy to homes and businesses. 
National Fuel values our communities 
and always strives to make a positive 
impact through economic development 
incentives, volunteer work, and 
employee charitable giving.”

Pictured:
Erik Solomon
Cathryn Hilliard

Utility GHG Emissions from  
Physical Plant*  
(Thousand metric tons of CO2e)

317

307

296

285

272

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

*EPA Subpart W

National Fuel also has a vested interest in the 
economic health of the communities where 
we operate. The Utility’s Area Development 
Program offers grants for qualifying businesses 
that are expanding in or relocating to Western 
New York to help offset the cost of natural gas 
infrastructure, interior natural gas piping, and 
even job training and workforce development. 
During fiscal 2018, this program provided 
$1.7 million in grants to 23 projects. In total, 
these projects represented nearly $624 million 
in private expenditures, the creation of almost 
1,500 jobs, and accounted for more than 
300,000 Mcf in incremental annual gas load.

With a 116-year track record of constructing 
our facilities in a safe and environmentally 
responsible manner, and reliably delivering 
natural gas to our customers, National Fuel —  
its 2,100-plus employees and more than 2,200 
retirees —  is woven into the fabric of the 
communities in which we operate. We are 
proud of our role as the hometown energy 
team and are committed to ensuring the long-
term sustainability of our integrated natural 
gas business.

9

Philip C. Ackerman
Former Chairman of the 
Board and Chief Executive 
Officer of the Company 

David C. Carroll
President and Chief Executive 
Officer of Gas Technology 
Institute 

Stephen E. Ewing
Former Vice Chairman of  
DTE Energy Company 

Steven C. Finch
Senior Vice President at  
AAA Western and Central 
New York

Joseph N. Jaggers
Former President, Chairman, 
and Chief Executive Officer of 
Jagged Peak Energy Inc.

Rebecca Ranich
Former Director at Deloitte 
Consulting, LLP

Jeffrey W. Shaw
Former Director and 
Chief Executive Officer of 
Southwest Gas Corporation

Thomas E. Skains
Former President, Chairman, 
and Chief Executive Officer 
of Piedmont Natural Gas 
Company, Inc.

David F. Smith
Chairman of the Board and 
former Chief Executive 
Officer of the Company 

Ronald J. Tanski
President and Chief Executive 
Officer of the Company

Ronald J. Tanski 
President and  
Chief Executive Officer

Donna L. DeCarolis
Vice President, Business 
Development 

John R. Pustulka 
Chief Operating Officer

Ann M. Wegrzyn 
Chief Information Officer

Paula M. Ciprich 
Senior Vice President and 
General Counsel

David P. Bauer
Treasurer and Principal 
Financial Officer

Karen M. Camiolo 
Controller and Principal 
Accounting Officer

Sarah J. Mugel
Secretary

Carl M. Carlotti
President, National Fuel Gas 
Distribution Corporation 

Ronald C. Kraemer
President, Empire Pipeline, Inc.

John P. McGinnis 
President, Seneca Resources 
Company, LLC

DIRECTORS

From left to right: David C. Carroll, Steven C. Finch,  
Jeffrey W. Shaw, Philip C. Ackerman, Ronald J. Tanski,  
David F. Smith, Thomas E. Skains, Rebecca Ranich,  
Stephen E. Ewing, Joseph N. Jaggers

OFFICERS

From left to right: Donna L. DeCarolis, John P. McGinnis,  
Ann M. Wegrzyn, Ronald C. Kraemer, John R. Pustulka,  
David P. Bauer, Paula M. Ciprich, Carl M. Carlotti, Sarah J. Mugel,  
Karen M. Camiolo

10

SUBSIDIARY OFFICERS

Upstream
SENECA RESOURCES COMPANY, LLC

John P. McGinnis 
President

Steven J. Conley  
Senior Vice President 

Justin I. Loweth 
Senior Vice President

David P. Bauer 
Treasurer 

Cindy D. Wilkinson 
Controller and Secretary 

Bradley D. Elliott 
Vice President

Benjamin F. Elmore  
Vice President and General Counsel 

Jeffrey J. Formica  
Vice President

Douglas Kepler 
Vice President

Dale A. Rowekamp  
Vice President 

Kevin M. Ryan  
Vice President

Downstream
NATIONAL FUEL GAS  
DISTRIBUTION CORPORATION

Carl M. Carlotti 
President

Jay W. Lesch  
Senior Vice President 

Paula M. Ciprich  
Secretary 

David P. Bauer 
Treasurer

Karen M. Camiolo  
Vice President and Controller

Michael W. Reville 
Vice President and General Counsel 

Joseph N. Del Vecchio  
Vice President and Chief Regulatory 
Counsel 

Michael D. Colpoys  
Vice President 

Kevin D. House 
Vice President 

John J. Polka Jr. 
Assistant Vice President 

James A. Rizzo  
Assistant Vice President 

Amy L. Shiley 
Assistant Vice President

Craig K. Swiech  
Assistant Vice President 

Elena G. Mendel  
Assistant Controller

NATIONAL FUEL RESOURCES, INC.

Jeffrey F. Hart 
Vice President

Midstream
NATIONAL FUEL GAS  
SUPPLY CORPORATION

David P. Bauer 
President and Treasurer

Bruce D. Heine 
Senior Vice President

Ronald C. Kraemer 
Senior Vice President

Sarah J. Mugel  
Vice President, General Counsel and 
Secretary 

Karen M. Camiolo  
Controller

Ramon P. Harris 
Vice President 

Jeffrey J. Kittka  
Vice President 

Lee E. Hartz 
Assistant Vice President 

Elena G. Mendel  
Assistant Controller

EMPIRE PIPELINE, INC.

Ronald C. Kraemer 
President

David P. Bauer 
Treasurer

Karen M. Camiolo  
Controller

Sarah J. Mugel  
Secretary

Elena G. Mendel  
Assistant Controller

NATIONAL FUEL GAS  
MIDSTREAM COMPANY, LLC

Michael P. Kasprzak 
President

David P. Bauer 
Treasurer

Karen M. Camiolo  
Controller

Sarah J. Mugel 
Secretary 

James C. Welch 
Assistant Vice President

11

FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

National Fuel Gas Company Year Ended September 30

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Operating Revenues (Thousands)

	$	 1,592,668

  $  1,579,881

  $  1,452,416

  $  1,760,913

  $  2,113,081

Net Income (Loss) Available for Common Stock (Thousands)

391,521(1)

283,482

(290,958)(2)

(379,427)(3)

299,413(4)

Return On Average Common Equity(5)

21.51%  

17.55%  

(16.4%)

(17.1%)

13.0%

Per Common Share

Basic Earnings (Loss)

Diluted Earnings (Loss)

Dividends Paid

Dividend Rate at Year-End

Book Value at Year-End

	$	

	$	

	$	

	$	

	$	

4.56

4.53

1.67

1.70

22.54

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

3.32

3.30

1.63

1.66

19.92

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

(3.43)

(3.43)

1.59

1.62

17.94

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

(4.50)

(4.50)

1.55

1.58

23.94

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

3.57

3.52

1.51

1.54

28.64

Common Shares Outstanding at Year-End

	85,956,814

 85,543,125

 85,118,886

 84,594,383

 84,157,220

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding

Basic

Diluted

	85,830,597

 85,364,929

 84,847,993

 84,387,755

 83,929,989

	86,439,698

 86,021,386

 84,847,993

 84,387,755

 84,952,347

Average Common Shares Traded Daily

437,677

477,190

518,574

482,631

451,731

Common Stock Price

High

Low

Close

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities (Thousands)

	$	

	$	

	$	

	$	

59.90

48.31

56.06

613,603

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

61.25

50.61

56.61

684,251

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

59.62

37.03

54.07

588,979

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

72.21

48.61

49.98

853,580

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

78.79

65.23

69.99

909,390

Total Assets (Thousands)

	$	 6,036,486

  $  6,103,320

  $  5,636,387

  $  6,564,939

  $  6,687,717

Capital Expenditures per Statements of Cash Flows (Thousands)

	$	

584,004

  $ 

450,335

  $ 

581,576

  $  1,018,179

  $ 

914,417

Volume Information

Production

Gas – MMcf

Oil – Mbbl

Total – MMcfe

Proved Reserves

Gas – MMcf

Oil – Mbbl

Total – MMcfe

Pipeline & Storage Throughput – MMcf

Gas Transportation

Gathering Volume – MMcf

Gathered Volume

Utility Throughput – MMcf

Gas Sales

Gas Transportation

Energy Marketing Volume – MMcf

Gas

Average Number of Utility Retail Customers

Average Number of Utility Transportation Customers

Number of Employees at September 30

162,906

2,535

178,116

157,088

143,547

139,563

142,307

2,740

2,923

3,034

3,036

173,528

161,085

157,767

160,523

	 2,357,342

  1,973,120

  1,674,575

  2,142,128

  1,682,884

27,663

30,207

29,009

33,722

38,477

	 2,523,320

  2,154,362

  1,848,629

  2,344,460

  1,913,746

767,866

785,187

764,423

750,080

735,995

198,355

194,921

161,955

139,629

138,726

70,125

76,828

42,262

628,875

121,328

2,105

61,955

71,040

38,901

608,489

135,106

2,100

58,705

70,847

39,849

602,284

139,951

2,080

72,434

78,749

46,752

591,098

148,877

2,125

73,892

80,949

52,694

584,415

153,407

2,010

(1)  Includes a $103.5 million reduction in income tax expense associated with the remeasurement of accumulated deferred income taxes in accordance with the 2017 

Tax Reform Act. 

(2) Includes impairment of oil and gas producing properties of ($550.0) million and includes joint development agreement professional fees of $4.6 million.
(3) Includes impairment of oil and gas producing properties of ($650.2) million and includes reversal of stock-based compensation expense of $4.7 million. 
(4) Includes a $3.6 million gain on life insurance policies.
(5)CalculatedusingaverageTotalComprehensiveShareholderEquity.

12

	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
	
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INVESTOR INFORMATION

COMMON STOCK TRANSFER  
AGENT AND REGISTRAR
EQ Shareowner Services 
P.O. Box 64854 
St. Paul, MN 55164-0854

Telephone: 800-648-8166 
http://www.shareowneronline.com 
Email: stocktransfer@eq-us.com

Change of address notices and  
inquiries about dividends should be  
sent to the Transfer Agent at the  
address listed above.

INVESTOR RELATIONS
Investorsorfinancialanalystsdesiring
information should contact:

David P. Bauer 
Treasurer 
Telephone: 716-857-7318

Kenneth E. Webster 
Director of Investor Relations 
Telephone: 716-857-7067 
Email: WebsterK@natfuel.com

NationalFuelGasCompany 
6363 Main Street 
Williamsville, NY 14221

NATIONAL FUEL DIRECT STOCK 
PURCHASE AND DIVIDEND 
REINVESTMENT PLAN
National Fuel offers a simple, cost-
effective method for purchasing shares 
of National Fuel stock. A prospectus, 
which includes details of the Plan, 
canbeobtainedbycalling,writing,or
emailing the administrator of the Plan, 
EQ Shareowner Services, at the address 
listed above.

ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting of Stockholders 
will be held at 9:30 a.m. (local time) 
on Thursday, March 7, 2019, at The 
Ritz Carlton Golf Resort at 2600 
Tiburon Drive, Naples, Florida, 34109. 
Stockholders of record as of the close of 
businessonJanuary7,2019,willreceive
aformalnoticeofthemeeting,proxy
statement,andproxy.

ADDITIONAL SHAREHOLDER 
REPORTS
Additional copies of this report, the 
2018 Form 10-K, and the 2018 Financial 
and Statistical Report can be obtained 
withoutchargebywritingtoorcalling:

Sarah J. Mugel 
CorporateSecretary 
Telephone: 716-857-7163

Kenneth E. Webster 
Director of Investor Relations 
Telephone: 716-857-7067

NationalFuelGasCompany 
6363 Main Street 
Williamsville, NY 14221

STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING
New York Stock Exchange  
(StockSymbol:NFG)

TRUSTEE FOR DEBENTURES
The Bank of New York Mellon 
Attention: Corporate Trust 
101BarclayStreet,7W 
New York, NY 10286

UNITS OF MEASURE

Bcf 

Billion cubic feet (of natural gas)

Mcfe 

Mcf equivalent (of natural gas and crude oil)

Bcfe 

Bcf equivalent (of natural gas and crude oil)

MMcf  Million cubic feet (of natural gas)

Dth 

Dekatherm (Approx. 1 Mcf of natural gas)

MMcfe  MMcf equivalent (of natural gas and crude oil)

Mbbl 

Thousands of barrels (of crude oil)

Mcf 

Thousand cubic feet (of natural gas)

Tcf 

Tcfe 

Trillion cubic feet (of natural gas)

Tcf equivalent (of natural gas and crude oil)

This Summary Annual Report contains “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking 
statements should be read with the cautionary statements and important factors included in the Company’s Form 10-K at Item 7, MD&A, under the heading 
“Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements,” and with the “Risk Factors” included in the Company’s Form 10-K at Item 1A.  Forward-looking statements 
are all statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding future prospects, plans, objectives, goals, 
projections,  estimates  of  oil  and  gas  quantities,  strategies,  future  events  or  performance  and  underlying  assumptions,  capital  structure,  anticipated 
capital expenditures, completion of construction and other projects, projections for pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations, impacts of the 
adoption of new accounting rules, and possible outcomes of litigation or regulatory proceedings, as well as statements that are identified by the use of the 
words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements include estimates of oil and gas quantities.  Proved oil and gas reserves are those quantities of oil and gas which, by analysis of 
geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible under existing economic conditions, operating 
methods and government regulations.  Other estimates of oil and gas quantities, including estimates of probable reserves, possible reserves, and resource 
potential,  are  by  their  nature  more  speculative  than  estimates  of  proved  reserves.    Accordingly,  estimates  other  than  proved  reserves  are  subject  to 
substantially greater risk of being actually realized.

This  Summary  Annual  Report  and  the  statements  contained  herein  are  submitted  for  the  general  information  of  stockholders  and  employees  of  the 
Company and are not intended to induce any sale or purchase of securities or to be used in connection therewith.  For up-to-date investor information, 
please visit the Investor Relations section of National Fuel Gas Company’s Corporate Web site at http://www.nationalfuel.com. If you would like to receive 
news releases automatically by e-mail, simply visit the News section and subscribe. 

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D

 
 
 
 
A drilling rig operates at a well pad in  
McKean County, Pa., in the Company’s 
Clermont-Rich Valley development area.  
Seneca Resources previously used this  
pad to complete six Marcellus Shale wells  
and is now utilizing the same surface  
footprint to produce natural gas reserves  
from the approximately 5,000-foot deeper  
Utica Shale formation. This is expected  
to reduce environmental impacts as Seneca  
will use existing gathering facilities, water 
infrastructure, and roadways.

NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY 
6363 Main Street, Williamsville, New York 14221 
716-857-7000 www.nationalfuel.com 
NYSE: NFG