UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of Report: March 23, 2009
EL
PASO NATURAL GAS COMPANY
(Exact
name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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Delaware
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1-2700
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74-0608280
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(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
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(Commission
File Number)
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(I.R.S.
Employer Identification
No.)
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El
Paso Building
1001
Louisiana Street
Houston,
Texas 77002
(Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code (713) 420-2600
Check the
appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously
satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions:
o Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
230.425)
o Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c))
Item
8.01 Other Information
Since October 2005,
El Paso Natural Gas Company (EPNG) has made several announcements regarding the
expiration of our consent agreement with the Navajo Nation covering
rights-of-way crossing lands held by the United States in trust for the Navajo
Nation and our efforts to renegotiate that
agreement. Approximately 900 looped-miles of our northern
mainline pipeline systems traverse lands held in trust by the United States for
the Navajo Nation. Those lands are subject to various right-of-way
agreements between us and the United States with the consent of the Navajo
Nation.
On March 23, 2009,
representatives of the Navajo Nation and EPNG executed a final agreement setting
forth the full terms and conditions of the Nation’s consent to EPNG’s
rights-of-way through October 17, 2025.
EPNG will submit
the Navajo Nation’s consent agreement in support of EPNG’s pending application
to the United States Department of the Interior for an extension of the
Department’s current right-of-way grant through October 17, 2025. We
expect submission of the consent agreement will result in the Department’s final
processing of EPNG’s application.
The amounts to be
paid to the Navajo Nation are among the costs EPNG is seeking to recover in its
current rate case before the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly
authorized.
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EL
PASO NATURAL GAS COMPANY
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By:
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/s/
John R. Sult
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John
R. Sult
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Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Controller
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(Principal
Accounting and Financial Officer)
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Dated:
March 27, 2009