[EXHIBIT 10ss TO COLONIAL GAS COMPANY
              10-K FOR YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996]


                   SERVICE AGREEMENT #NO1733
                         (FST Service)

     AGREEMENT made this 12th day of April,  1996, by and 
between NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORPORATION, hereinafter called 
"Transporter" and COLONIAL GAS COMPANY, hereinafter called "Shipper."  

     WHEREAS, Shipper has requested that Transporter has 
transport natural gas; and

     WHEREAS, Transporter has agreed to provide such 
transportation for Shipper subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

     WITNESSETH,  That, in consideration of the mutual 
covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree that 
Transporter will transport for Shipper, on a firm basis, and 
Shipper will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to Transporter 
natural gas for such transportation during the term hereof, at 
the prices and on the terms and conditions hereinafter provided.

                           ARTICLE I

                          Quantities

     Beginning on the date on which deliveries of gas are 
commenced hereunder and thereafter for the remaining term of this 
Agreement, and subject to the provisions of Transporter's FST 
Rate Schedule, Transporter agrees to transport for Shipper up to 
the following quantities of natural gas:

Contract Maximum Daily Injection Transportation Quantity  (MDITQ) 
of 4,652 Dekatherms  (Dth)

Contract Maximum Daily Withdrawal Transportation Quantity  (MDWTQ) 
of 6,203 Dekatherms  (Dth)

                          ARTICLE II

                             Rate

     Unless otherwise mutually agreed in a written amendment 
to this Agreement for the service provided by Transporter 
hereunder, Shipper shall pay Transporter the maximum rate 
provided under Rate Schedule FST set forth in Transporter's 
effective FERC Gas Tariff.  In the event that Transporter places 
on file with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 
("Commission") another rate schedule which may be applicable to 
transportation service rendered hereunder, then Transporter, at 
its option, may from and after the effective date of such rate 
schedule, utilize such rate schedule in performance of this 
Agreement.  Such a rate schedule (s) or superseding rate 
schedule (s) and any revisions thereof which shall be filed and 
become effective shall apply to and be a part of this Agreement.  
Transporter shall have the right to propose, file and make 
effective with the Commission, or other body having jurisdiction, 
changes and revisions of any effective rate schedule (s), or to 
propose, file, and make effective superseding rate schedule, for 
the purpose of changing the rate, charges, and other provisions 
thereof effective as to Shipper.

     Shipper does not hereby waive its right to protest or 
contest the aforementioned filings.

                          ARTICLE III

                       Term of Agreement

     This Agreement shall be effective as of the effective 
date of an amendment to the Underground Storage Service Agreement 
between Transporter and Shipper, pursuant to Transporter's Rate 
Schedule SS-1, that reduces the Annual Storage Volume thereunder 
from 2,000,000 Mcf to 1,098,350 Mcf.  This Agreement shall 
continue in effect until March 31, 2000 [BY 12/1/96 AMENDMENT;
PREVIOUSLY, "MARCH 31, 1998"], and shall continue in 
effect from year to year thereafter until terminated by either 
Transporter or Shipper upon not less than 12 months' prior 
written notice to the other specifying as a termination date the 
end of such period or any subsequent anniversary thereof.

                          ARTICLE IV

                Points of Receipt and Delivery

     The primary injection receipt point (s) and the primary 
withdrawal delivery point (s) shall be the pipeline 
interconnection of Transporter's Line EC-1 with the interstate 
transmission facilities of Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company 
("Tennessee")  (known as Andrews Settlement) and/or other 
facilities of Transporter near Transporter's Ellisburg Station in 
Potter County, Pennsylvania.

     The primary injection delivery point (s) and the primary 
withdrawal receipt point (s) shall be Transporter's System 
Storage.

                           ARTICLE V

        Gas Pressures at Points of Receipt and Delivery

      The gas received by Transproter at the primary injection
receipt point (s) shall be at the pressure at which
Transporter or Tennessee is operating its Facilities, but not
less than 400 psig, and upon redelivery to or for the account
of Shipper at the primary withdrawal delivery point (s) shall
be at pipeline pressures suitable for delivery into
Tennessee's or Transporter's system, as the case may be;
provided that Transporter shall no be obligated to deliver
gas at a pressure in excess of 1,000 psig.

                          ARTICLE VI

        Incorporation By Reference of Tariff Provisions

     To the extent not inconsistent with the terms and 
conditions of this agreement, the provisions of Rate Schedule 
FST, or any effective superseding rate schedule or otherwise 
applicable rate schedule, including any provisions of the General 
Terms and Conditions incorporated therein, and any revisions 
thereof that may be made effective hereafter are hereby made 
applicable to and a part hereof by reference.

                          ARTICLE VII

                         Miscellaneous

     1.  No charge, modification or alteration of this 
Agreement shall be or become effective until executed in writing 
by the parties hereto, and no course of dealing between the 
parties shall be construed to alter the terms hereof, except as 
expressly stated herein.

     2.  No waiver by any party of any one or more defaults 
by the other in the performance of any provisions of this 
Agreement shall operate or be construed as a waiver of any other 
default or defaults, whether of a like or of a different 
character.

     3.	 Any company which shall succeed by purchase, merger 
or consolidation of the gas related properties, substantially as 
an entirety, of Transporter or of Shipper, as the case may be, 
shall be entitled to the rights and shall be subject to the 
obligations of its predecessor in title under this Agreement.  
Either party may, without relieving itself of its obligations 
under this Agreement, assign any of its rights hereunder to a 
company with which it is affiliated, but otherwise, no assignment 
of this Agreement or of any of the rights or obligations 
hereunder shall be made unless there first shall have been 
obtained the consent thereto in writing of the other party.  
Consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

     4.  Except as herein otherwise provided, any notice, 
request, demand, statement or bill provided for in this 
Agreement, or any notice which either party may desire to give 
the other, shall be in writing and shall be considered as duly 
delivered when mailed by registered or certified mail to the Post 
Office address of the parties hereto, as the case may be, as 
follows:

		Transporter:	National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation
				Gas Supply - Transportation
				10 Lafayette Square
				Buffalo, New York 14203

		Shipper:	Colonial Gas Company
				40 Market Street
				Lowell , Massachusetts 01853
				Attn.:	John P. Harrigton
					Senior Vice President, Gas Supply

or at such other address as either party shall designate by 
formal written notice.  Routine communications, including monthly 
statements, shall be considered as duly delivered when mailed by 
either registered, certified, or ordinary mail, electronic 
communication, or telecommunication.

     5.  This Agreement and the respective obligations of 
the parties hereunder are subject to all present and future valid 
laws, orders, rules and regulations of constituted authorities 
having jurisdiction over the parties, their functions or gas 
supply, this Agreement or any provision hereof.  Neither party 
shall be held in default for failure to perform hereunder if such 
failure is due to compliance with laws, orders, rules or 
regulations of any such duly constituted authorities.  

     6.	 The subject headings of the articles of this 
Agreement are inserted for the purpose of convenient reference 
and are not intended to be a part of he Agreement nor considered 
in any interpretation of the same.

     7.	 No presumption shall operate in favor of or against 
either party hereto as a result of any responsibility either 
party may have had for drafting this Agreement.

     8.	 The interpretation and performance of this 
Agreement shall be in accordance with the laws of the State of 
Pennsylvania, without recourse to the law regarding the conflict 
of laws.

     The parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be 
signed by their duly authorized personnel the day and year first 
above written.


				NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORPORATION
					(Transporter)


				____William A. Ross__________________________
					Vice President
					
				COLONIAL GAS COMPANY

				(Shipper)

                                 ____John P. Harrington_____________________

				Senior Vice President - Gas Supply



                            AMENDMENT I

            Amendment to FSS Service Agreement # 001734
                 and FST Service Agreement #N01733
                               
                            between

	NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORPORATION ("TRANSPORTER") AND
		
		COLONIAL GAS COMPANY ("SHIPPER")

			EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 1996

1. The rates to be charged to Shipper under the above-referenced
agreements shall be calculated to recover the revenues that
would have been collected from the Shipper had the Shipper
entered into a new SS-2 Service Agreement for an Annual Storage
Volume of 901,650 Mcf.  To arrive at rates that recover such
revenues, Transporter shall discount the following components,
only as necessary, in the following sequence:

		FSS GRI Reservation
		FST GRI Reservation
		FSS GRI Commodity
		FST GRI Commodity
		FSS Injection/Withdrawal
		FSS Storage Capacity
		FSS Storage Demand

As of the effective date of this Amendment, the rates to be
charged under the above-captioned Agreements are as follows:

                              FSS
                          (Dth basis)
		Storage Demand		$2.1556
		Storage Capacity	$0.0413
		Injection		$0.0000
		Withdrawal		$0.0000
		ACA Commodity		$0.0022
		GRI Reservation		$0.0000
		GRI Commodity		$0.0000

                              FST
                          (Dth basis)
		Reservation		$3.5637
		Gathering Surcharge
			-Reservation	$0.1486
		Commodity		$0.0064
		ACA Commodity		$0.0022
		GRI Reservation		$0.0000
		GRI Commodity		$0.0000

The attached table shows the methodology used to arrive at the
rates set forth above.  If the rates under Rate Schedule SS-2,
FSS or FST change during the term of these agreements, the rates
shown above shall be adjusted, using the same methodology as
that shown on the attached table.  This methodology shall
continue to be used to determine the rates applicable to Shipper
even if Transporter places on file with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission a superseding rate schedule, as described
in Article II of the FSS and FST Service Agreement, and elects
to utilize such superseding rate schedule in performance of the
services governed by such agreement.

2. Tranporter shall retain the full Surface Operating Allowance
under the FSS Rate Schedule.  With respect to the service
provided under the FST Rate Schedule, no fuel, loss and
company-use retention shall be applied to quantities transported
between the primary points set forth in the service agreement,
or between the primary injection delivery point or primary
withdrawal receipt point and the following secondary points:

		Tennessee at Ellisburg		Meter 020527
		Transco at Wharton		Meter 6325
		CNG at Ellisburg		Meter 41202
		TransCanada at Niagara		Meter 010902
		Texas Eastern at Bristoria	Meter 70015

Otherwise, the full fuel, loss and company-use retention shall
be applied.

			NATIONAL FUEL GAS SUPPLY CORPORATION


			____William A. Ross_____________
			By:_____________________________
			Title:___Vice President_________

			COLONIAL GAS COMPANY


			____John P. Harrington__________
			By:_____________________________
			Title:__Senior_Vice President__
			        -Gas Supply



                      Colonial Gas Rates

		Capacity 		930,450 Dth
		Deliverability		6,203 Dth/day

				SS-2
		
SS-2 or FSS: 		Rate 		Annual Cost

Storage Demand 		$8.1470 	$606,430 
Storage Capacity 	$0.0260		$290,300 
Injection 		$0.0106 	$9,863 
Withdrawal 		$0.0106 	$9,863
Surface operating 
allowance charge 	$0.0106 	$276 
ACA commodity		$0.0000 
GRI reservation 	$0.0000 
GRI commodity $0.0000 

FST: 

Reservation 	
Gathering surcharge reservation 
Commodity 
ACA commodity 
GRI Resrcation 
GRI commodity

TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS 			$916,732

UNIT RATE (per Dth) 			$0.9853

  
				Maximum FSS/FST

SS-2 or FSS:		Maximum Rate	Annual Cost

Storage Demand		$2.1556		$160,454
Storage Capacity	$0.0432		$482,345
Injection		$0.0139		$12,933
Withdrawal		$0.0139		$12,933
Surface operating 
allowance charge
ACA commodity		$0.0022		$2,047
GRI reservation		$0.0000
GRI commodity		$0.0000

FST:

Reservation		$3.5637		$265,268
Gathering surcharge 
reservation		$0.1486		$11,061
Commodity		$0.0064		$11,910
ACA commodity		$0.0022		$4,094
GRI Reservation		$0.0000		
GRI commodity		$0.0000

TOTAL ANNUAL COST			$963,046

UNIT RATE (per Dth)			$1.0350


				Discounted FSS/FST

SS-2 or FSS:		Rate		Annual Cost

Storage Demand		$2.1556		$160,454
Storage Capacity	$0.0432		$461,131
Injection		$0.0000		$0
Withdrawal		$0.0000		$0
Surface operating 
allowance charge	
ACA commodity		$0.0022		$2,047
GRI reservation		$0.0000		
GRI commodity		$0.0000

FST:

Reservation		$3.5637		$265,268
Gathering surcharge
reservation		$0.1486		$11,061
Commodity		$0.0064		$11.910
ACA commodity		$0.0022		$4,094
GRI Reservation		
GRI commodity

TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS			$915,965

UNIT RATE (per Dth)			$0.9844
                           


                       [END OF EXHIBIT 10ss]