Document:

<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.52

                                                     SERVICE AGREEMENT NO. 39304
                                                          CONTROL NO. 930905-272

                              NTS SERVICE AGREEMENT

         THIS AGREEMENT, made and entered into this 1st day of November, 1993,
by and between COLUMBIA GULF TRANSMISSION COMPANY ("Seller") and NORTH CAROLINA
NATURAL GAS CORPORATION ("Buyer").

         WITNESSETH: That in consideration of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

         Section 1. Service to be Rendered. Seller shall perform and Buyer shall
receive service in accordance with the provisions of the effective NTS Rate
Schedule and applicable General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas
Tariff, Second Revised Volume No. 1 (Tariff), on file with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (Commission), as the same may be amended or superseded in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission. The maximum
obligation of Seller to deliver gas hereunder to or for Buyer, the designation
of the points of delivery at which Seller shall deliver or cause gas to be
delivered to or for Buyer, and the points of receipt at which Buyer shall
deliver or cause gas to be delivered are specified in Appendix A, as the same
may be amended from time to time by agreement between Buyer and Seller, or in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission. Service hereunder
shall be provided subject to the provisions of Part 284.223 of Subpart G of the
Commission's regulations. Buyer warrants that service hereunder is being
provided on behalf of Buyer.

         Section 2. Term. Service under this Agreement shall commence as of
November 01, 1993, and shall continue in full force and effect until October 31,
2004, and from year-to-year thereafter unless terminated by either party upon
six (6) months' written notice to the other prior to the end of the initial term
granted or any anniversary date thereafter. Pre-granted abandonment shall apply
upon termination of this Agreement, subject to any right of first refusal Buyer
may have under the Commission's regulations and Seller's Tariff.

         Section 3. Rates. Buyer shall pay Seller the charges and furnish
Retainage as described in the above-referenced Rate Schedule, unless otherwise
agreed to by the parties in writing and specified as an amendment to this
Service Agreement.

         Section 4. Notices. Notices to Seller under this Agreement shall be
addressed to it at Post Office Box 1273, Charleston, West Virginia 25325-1273,
Attention: Director, Transportation and Exchange and notices to Buyer shall be
addressed to it at 150 Rowan Street, P O Box 909,Fayetteville, NC 28302,
Attention: President, until changed by either party by written notice.

<PAGE>

                                                     SERVICE AGREEMENT NO. 39304
                                                          CONTROL NO. 930905-272

                         NTS SERVICE AGREEMENT (Cont'd)

         Section 5. Prior Service Agreements. This Agreement is being entered
into by the parties hereto pursuant to the Commission's Order No. 636 and its
orders dated July 14, 1993 and September 29, 1993, with respect to Seller's
Order No. 636 compliance filing and relates to the following existing Service
Agreements:

         CDS Service Agreement No. 36065, effective November 1, 1989, as it may
         have been amended, providing for a bundled sales, transportation and
         storage service under the CDS Rate Schedule.

The terms of Service Agreement No. 39304 shall become effective as of the
effective date hereof, however, the parties agree that neither the execution nor
the performance of Service Agreements 39304 shall prejudice any recoupment or
other rights that Buyer may have under or with respect to the above-referenced
Service Agreements.

         Section 6. Conversion. Buyer may convert all or a portion of its
service under the NTS Rate Schedule to an equivalent level of Transportation
Demand under Seller's FTS Rate schedule by providing at least twelve month's
written notice (Notice Period) of Buyer's intent to convert; provided that the
conversion shall be effective concurrently with the effective date of revised
rates pursuant to Seller's first general rate filing under Section 4(e) of the
Natural Gas Act following the Notice Period. The converted FTS service agreement
shall contain the same receipt and delivery points, MDDOs (or applicable
portion) and delivery pressure requirement (if applicable) as those in effect
under the NTS service agreement on the date of termination. This conversion
option shall expire on and any notice by buyer hereunder must be submitted to
Seller by October 31, 1995.

NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS CORP           COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION

By:      /s/ Gerald A. Teele              By:      /s/ George E. Shriver
         --------------------                      ---------------------

Title:   Senior Vice President            Title:   Director T&E

<PAGE>

                                                                    Revision No.
                                                   Control No. 1993-09 05 - 0272

                    Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 39304
                             Under Rate Schedule FS
             Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
                   And (Buyer) NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS CORP

           Transportation Demand                        10,000 Dth/day

                             Primary Receipt Points

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Scheduling    Scheduling    Measuring              Measuring       Maximum Daily
Point No.     Point Name    Point No.   Footnote   Point Name    Quantity (Dth/Day)
---------     ----------    ---------   --------   ----------    ------------------
<S>           <C>           <C>         <C>        <C>           <C>
801           TCO-LEACH        801                                    10,000
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                                                    Revision No.
                                                   Control No. 1993-00 05 - 0272

                    Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 39304
                             Under Rate Schedule FTS
             Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
                   And (Buyer) NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS CORP

                             Primary Delivery Points

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Scheduling    Scheduling        Measuring                Measuring       Maximum Daily
Point No.     Point Name        Point No.    FOOTNOTE    Point Name    Quantity (Dth/Day)
---------     ----------        ---------    --------    ----------    ------------------
<S>           <C>               <C>          <C>         <C>           <C>
30 NC         NC Natural Gas    30 NC                                        10,000
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

                                                                    Revision No.
                                                   Control No. 1993-09 05 - 0272

                    Appendix A to Service Agreement No. 39304
                             Under Rate Schedule FTS
             Between (Seller) COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION
                   And (Buyer) NORTH CAROLINANATURAL GAS CORP

The Master List of Interconnects (MLI) as defined in Section 1 of the General
Terms and Conditions of Seller's Tariff is incorporated herein by reference for
the purposes of listing valid secondary interruptible receipt points and
delivery points.

Service changes pursuant to this Appendix shall become effective as of November
01, 1993. This Appendix A shall cancel and supersede the previous Appendix A
effective as of N/A , to the Service Agreement referenced above. With the
exception of this Appendix A, all other terms and conditions of said Service
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

       NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS CORP

By     /s/ Gerald A. Teele
       -------------------

Its    Senior Vice President

Date   November 24, 1993

COLUMBIA GAS TRANSMISSION CORPORATION

By     /s/ George E. Shiver
       --------------------

Its    Director T&E

Date   12/2/93<PAGE>

                                                                   Exhibit 10.53

                                                               Contract # 2.9838

                                SERVICE AGREEMENT

                                     between

                          PINE NEEDLE LNG COMPANY, LLC

                                       and

                     NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS CORPORATION

                                January 29, 1997

<PAGE>

                                SERVICE AGREEMENT

         THIS AGREEMENT entered into this 29th day of January, 1997, by and
between PINE NEEDLE LNG COMPANY, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability
company, hereinafter referred to as "Pine Needle," and NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL
GAS CORPORATION, hereinafter referred to as "Customer,"

                                   WITNESSETH:

         WHEREAS, by order issued November 27, 1996, in Docket No. CP96-52, the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a certificate of public convenience
and necessity to Pine Needle to construct and operate a liquefied natural gas
storage facility in Guilford County, North Carolina; and

         WHEREAS, Pine Needle's LNG storage facility, which is proposed to be in
service by May 1, 1999, will have a total storage capacity of 4 Bcf of gas, with
the ability to vaporize 400 MMcf/day and to liquefy at a net rate of 20
MMcf/day; and

         WHEREAS, Customer has requested firm storage service at Pine Needle's
LNG storage facility under Pine Needle's Rate Schedule LNG-1 and has executed
with Pine Needle a Precedent Agreement dated September 22, 1995 for such
service; and

         WHEREAS, Pine Needle is willing to provide the requested firm storage
service for Customer pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Service
Agreement, Rate Schedule LNG-1, and the Precedent Agreement.

         NOW THEREFORE, Pine Needle and Customer agree as follows:

                                    ARTICLE I
                             SERVICE TO BE RENDERED

         Subject to the terms and provisions of this agreement and of Pine
Needle's Rate Schedule LNG-1, as amended from time to time, Pine Needle agrees
to liquefy natural gas; store such gas n liquefied form; and vaporize and
deliver such gas to Customer or for Customer's account as follows:

         To withdraw from storage and vaporize the gas stored in liquefied form
         by Pine Needle for Customer's account up to a maximum quantity on any
         day of the dekatherm equivalent of 40,000 Mcf, which quantity shall be
         Customer's Vaporization Quantity. 1/

         To liquefy natural gas for Customer up to a maximum quantity on any day
         of the dekatherm equivalent of 2,000 Mcf, which shall be Customer's
         Liquefaction Quantity. 1/

         To store in liquefied form for Customer's account up to a total
         quantity of the dekatherm equivalent of 400,000 Mcf, which quantity
         shall be Customer's Storage Capacity.

         1/       In addition to these quantities, Pine Needle shall retain
                  quantities of gas for fuel and gas otherwise used or lost and
                  unaccounted for pursuant to Rate Schedule LNG-1.

                                        1
<PAGE>

                          SERVICE AGREEMENT (CONTINUED)

                                   ARTICLE II
                          POINT OF RECEIPT AND DELIVERY

1.       The Point or Points of Delivery for all gas tendered to Pine Needle for
liquefaction hereunder shall be at the following point(s):

         The interconnection between Pine Needle's 10-inch inlet pipeline and
         Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation's ("Transco") mainline
         system at milepost 1356.95 on Transco's mainline in Guilford County,
         North Carolina.

2.       The Point of Delivery for all gas delivered by Pine Needle to Customer
or for the account of Customer shall be at the following point(s):

         The interconnection between Pine Needle's 24-inch outlet pipeline and
         Transco's mainline system at milepost 1356.95 on Transco's mainline in
         Guilford County, North Carolina.

                                   ARTICLE III
                                TERM OF AGREEMENT

         This agreement shall be effective as of the date that Pine Needle's
facilities necessary to provide service hereunder to Customer have been
constructed and are ready for liquefaction of gas, as determined by Pine Needle
in its sole opinion, hereinafter referred to as the "In-Service Date," and shall
remain in force and effect for a primary term of twenty (20) years from and
after the In-Service Date, and year to year thereafter, subject to termination
by either party upon two (2) years prior written notice to the other.

                                   ARTICLE IV
                             RATE SCHEDULE AND PRICE

         1.       Customer shall pay Pine Needle for services rendered hereunder
in accordance with Pine Needle's Rate Schedule LNG-1 and the applicable
provisions of the General Terms and Conditions of Pine Needle's FERC Gas Tariff
as filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and as the same may be
amended or superseded from time to time. Such rate schedule and General Terms
and Conditions are by this reference made a part hereof.

         2.       Pine Needle shall have the unilateral right to propose, file
and make effective with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or other
regulatory authority having jurisdiction, changes and revisions to the rates and
rate design proposed pursuant to Section 4 of the Natural Gas Act, or to
propose, file and make effective superseding rates or rate schedules, for the
purposes of changing the rates, charges, rate design, terms and conditions of
service and other provisions thereof effective as to Customer; provided however
that the (i) firm character of service, (ii) term of agreement (as set forth in
Article III above), (iii) quantities, and (iv) points of receipt and delivery
shall not be subject to unilateral change under this paragraph. Customer shall
have the rights to file with the Commission or other regulatory authority in
opposition to any such filings or proposals by Pine Needle.

                                        2
<PAGE>

                          SERVICE AGREEMENT (CONTINUED)

                                    ARTICLE V
                                  MISCELLANEOUS

         1.       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 this agreement nor to be considered in any interpretation of the same.

         2.       This agreement supersedes and cancels as of the effective date
hereof the following contracts between the parties hereto: None

         3.       No waiver by either 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 future default or defaults, whether of alike or
different character.

         4.       This agreement shall be interpreted, performed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina.

         5.       This agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit
of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

         6.       Notices to either party shall be in writing and shall be
considered as duly delivered when mailed to the other party at the following
address:

                  (a)     If to Pine Needle:
                          Pine Needle LNG Company, LLC
                          c/o Pine Needle Operating Company
                          P. O. Box 1396
                          (2800 Post Oak Boulevard 77056)
                          Houston, Texas 77251-1396
                          Attention: Director - Customer Services and Scheduling

                  (b)     If to Customer:
                          North Carolina Natural Gas Corporation
                          P. O. Box 909
                          (150 Rowan)
                          Fayetteville, North Carolina 28302-0909
                          Attention: Vice President, Gas Supply & Transportation

Such addresses may be changed from time to time by mailing appropriate notice
thereof to the other party.

<PAGE>

                          SERVICE AGREEMENT (CONTINUED)

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this agreement to be
signed by their respective officers or representatives thereunto duly
authorized.

                                                   PINE NEEDLE LNG COMPANY, LLC
                                                   by its agent
                                                   PINE NEEDLE OPERATING COMPANY

                                                   By /s/ Frank J. Ferazzi
                                                      --------------------
                                                      Vice President

                                                   NORTH CAROLINA NATURAL GAS
                                                   CORPORATION

                                                   By: /s/ Cal B. Wells
                                                       ----------------
                                                   Title: President

                                        4

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