Document:

Contract No

EXHIBIT 10.55

Contract No.010041

FT SERVICE AGREEMENT

     THIS AGREEMENT entered into this 1st day of May, 2000, by and between Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company, a corporation of the State of Delaware (herein called "Seller"), and NUI Corporation (herein called "Buyer").

WITNESSETH

     WHEREAS, Buyer desires to obtain Firm Transportation Service from Seller and Seller is willing to provide Firm Transportation Service for Buyer; and

     WHEREAS, such service will be provided by Seller for Buyer in accordance with the terms hereof.

     NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, Seller and Buyer do covenant and agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

Definitions

      In addition to the definitions incorporated herein through Seller's Rate Schedule FT, the following terms when used herein shall have the meanings set forth below:

     1.1     The term "FERC" shall mean the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor regulatory agency or body which has authority to regulate the rates and/or services of Seller.

     1.2     The term "Rate Schedule FT" shall mean Seller's Rate Schedule FT and the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff, as filed with the FERC and as changed and adjusted from time to time by Seller in accordance with Section 4.2 hereof or in compliance with any final FERC order affecting such Rate Schedule and/or General Terms and Conditions.

ARTICLE II

Quantity

     2.1     The Maximum Daily Transportation Quantity ("MDTQ") shall be set forth on Exhibit "B" attached hereto. The applicable MDTQ shall be the largest daily quantity of gas, expressed in dekatherms ("dt"), that Seller is obligated to transport and make available for delivery for the account of Buyer under this Service Agreement on any one Gas Day.

     2.2     Buyer may tender natural gas for transportation to Seller on any Gas Day up to the MDTQ, plus the Fuel Retention Quantity as defined in Section 31 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff. Seller agrees to receive the aggregate of the quantities of natural gas that Buyer tenders for transportation, plus the Fuel Retention Quantity, at the Point(s) of Receipt, up to the Maximum Daily Receipt Obligation ("MDRO") specified for each Point of Receipt as set forth on Exhibit "A" attached hereto, and to transport and make available for delivery for the account of Buyer at each Delivery Point Area ("DPA") specified on Exhibit "B" attached hereto, quantities of natural gas up to the amount scheduled by Seller, less the Fuel Retention Quantity, and Buyer agrees to accept or cause acceptance of such delivery by Seller.

ARTICLE III

Payment and Rights of Termination

     3.1     Except as provided to the contrary in any written agreement(s) between Buyer and Seller in effect during the term hereof, Buyer shall pay Seller, for all service rendered hereunder, the applicable maximum rate, and all other lawful charges, as specified in Seller's Rte Schedule FT, as filed with the FERC and as said Rate Schedule may hereafter be legally amended or superseded.  Buyer and Seller may mutually agree that Buyer shall pay a rate other than the applicable maximum rate so long as such rate is between the applicable maximum and minimum rates specified for such service in Seller's Tariff.  Buyer and Seller may agree that a specific discounted rate will apply only to certain quantities under this Agreement; tht a specified discounted rte will apply only if specified quantities are achieved or only if the quantities do not exceed a certain level; that a specified discounted rate will apply only during specified periods of the year or for a specifically defined period; and/or that a specified discounted rate will apply only to specified rate zones, Delivery Point Areas, delivery points or other defined geographic area.

     3.2     In the event Buyer fails to pay for the service provided under this Agreement or otherwise fails to meet Seller's standards for creditworthiness, Seller shall have the right to terminate this Agreement pursuant to the conditions set forth in Section 11, Section 18 and Section 19 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff.

     3.3     In the event Buyer and Seller mutually agree to a negotiated rate(s) and/or terms of service hereunder (if authorized by the Commission), provisions governing such negotiated rate (including surcharges) and terms shall be set forth on Exhibit C to this Agreement.

ARTICLE IV

Rights to Amend Rates and Terms and Conditions of Service

     4.1     This Agreement in all respects shall be and remain subject to the provisions of said Rate Schedule FT and the provisions of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff (as the same may hereafter be legally amended or superseded), all of which are made a part hereof by this reference.

     4.2     Seller shall have the unilateral right to file with the appropriate regulatory authority and seek to make changes in: (a) the rates and charges applicable to its Rate Schedule FT; (b) Rate Schedule FT including the Form of Service Agreement and the existing Service Agreement pursuant to which this service is rendered; and/or (c) any provisions of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff applicable to Rate Schedule FT, provided however, Seller shall not have the right, without the consent of Buyer, unless required to do so pursuant to applicable laws or regulations, to make any filing pursuant to Section 4 of the Natural Gas Act to reduce the firm nature of the service provided under said Rate Schedule or the provisions of Exhibits "A", "B" and "C". Seller agrees that Buyer may protest or contest the aforementioned filings, or seek authorization from duly constituted regulatory authorities for such adjustment of Seller's existing FERC Gas Tariff as may be found necessary in order to assure that the provisions in (a), (b), or (c) above are just and reasonable.

ARTICLE V

Term of Agreement and Commencement of Service

     5.1     The primary term of this Agreement shall commence on November 1, 2000 and shall continue in effect until October 31, 2010 or ten (10 years after the in-service date of the facilities necessary to provide this service, whichever is later. Termination or renewal of this Agreement shall occur in accordance with the provisions of Section 13 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff.

     5.2     Any portion of this Agreement necessary to correct or "cash out" imbalances under this Agreement, pursuant to the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff, shall survive the other parts of this Agreement until such time as such balancing has been accomplished.

ARTICLE VI

Point(s) of Receipt and Delivery and Maximum Daily Quantities

     6.1     The Primary Point(s) of Receipt and MDRO for each Primary Point of Receipt, for all gas delivered for the account of Buyer into Seller's pipeline system under this Agreement, shall be at the Point(s) of Receipt on Seller's pipeline system as set forth on Exhibit "A" attached hereto.

     6.2     The Primary Delivery Point Area(s) ("DPA") and Maximum Daily Delivery Obligation ("MDDO") for each DPA for all gas made available for delivery by Seller to Buyer, or for the account of Buyer, under this Agreement shall be as set forth on Exhibit "B" attached hereto. Exhibit "B" also includes the Maximum Hourly Quantity ("MHQ") for each DPA as defined in Section 20 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff.

ARTICLE VII

Notices and Payments

     7.1     All notices and communications with respect to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be considered as duly conveyed when sent to the addresses stated below or at any other such address as either Seller or 8uyer may hereafter designate in writing in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 8 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff.

	
Seller: 

	 	
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company

	 	
Post Office Box 1769

	 	
Dover, Delaware 19903-1769

	 	
Attention: Director of Customer Services

	 	 
	
Buyer:
	
NUI Corporation

	 	
550 Route 202-206

	 	
P.O. Box 760

	 	
Bedminster, New Jersey 07921-0760

     7.2     All payments for service provided under this Agreement shall be by wire transfer of funds and shall be directed to the address stated below:

	 	
Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company

	 	
PNC Bank - Wilmington, DE

	 	
Account No. 5684278110

	 	
ABA No. 031100089

	 	 

ARTICLE VIII

Facilities

      8.1     To the extent that construction of facilities is necessary to provide service under this Service Agreement, such construction, including payment for the facilities, shall occur in accordance with Section 12 of the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff.

ARTICLE IX

Regulatory Authorizations and Approvals

     9.1     Seller's obligation to provide service is conditioned upon receipt and acceptance of any necessary regulatory authorization to provide Firm Transportation Service for Buyer in accordance with the terms of Rate Schedule FT, this Service Agreement and the General Terms and Conditions of Seller's FERC Gas Tariff. Buyer agrees to reimburse Seller for all reporting and/or filing fees incurred by Seller in providing service under this Service Agreement.

ARTICLE X

Pressures

     10.1     The quantities of gas delivered or caused to be delivered by Buyer to Seller hereunder shall be delivered into Seller's pipeline system at a pressure sufficient to enter Seller's system, but in no event shall such gas be delivered at a pressure exceeding the maximum authorized operating pressure or such other pressure as Seller permits at the Point(s) of Receipt.

ARTICLE XI

Miscellaneous

     11.1     This Agreement shall bind and benefit the successors and assigns of the respective parties hereto; provided however, neither party shall assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations hereunder without first obtaining the written consent of the other party.

     11.2     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 defaults of a like or different character.

     11.3     This Agreement includes Exhibits "A", "B" and "C", which are incorporated fully herein and made a part hereof.

     11.4     Modifications to this Agreement shall not become effective except by execution of an amendment thereto.

     11.5     This Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without recourse to the law governing conflicts of laws, and to all present and future valid laws with respect to the subject matter, including present and future orders, rules and regulations of duly constituted governmental authorities.

ARTICLE XII

Superseding Prior Service Agreements

     12.1     This Agreement, on its effective date, supersedes and cancels the following Service Agreement(s) between Seller and Buyer:   None

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized officers or representatives effective as of the date first written above.

 

	
SELLER
	 	
BUYER

	 	 	 
	
EASTERN SHORE NATURAL GAS COMPANY
	 	
NUI CORPORATION

	
By: /S/ STEPHEN C. THOMPSON
	 	
By: /S/ THOMAS E. SMITH

	
Title: President
	 	
Title:  Director of Energy Planning

	 	 	 

(To be attested by the Corporate Secretary

if not signed by an officer of the company) 

	
Attested By:
	 	
Attested By:/S/ Joyce M. Fajnor

	
Title:
	 	
Title:  Assistant Secretary

	
Date:
	 	
Date: May 5, 2000<PAGE>

                                                                     Exhibit 4.2

                               FIRST AMENDMENT TO
                           AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER
                         POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT

                  This FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED MASTER
POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT, dated as of October 1, 2001 (this "Amendment"),
is among American Express Centurion Bank (the "Bank"), American Express
Receivables Financing Corporation ("RFC"), American Express Travel Related
Services Company, Inc. (the "Servicer") and The Bank of New York, (the
"Trustee"). This Amendment amends the Amended and Restated Master Pooling and
Servicing Agreement, dated as of May 1, 1998 (the "Pooling and Servicing
Agreement" and, together with this Amendment, the "Amended Pooling and Servicing
Agreement").

                                    RECITALS

                  1. Pursuant to Section 13.01(b) of the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement, the Servicer has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel,
dated the date of this Amendment, stating that this Amendment will not
materially and adversely affect the interests of the Investor Certificateholders
of any outstanding Series.

                  2. The parties to the Pooling and Servicing Agreement have
satisfied all conditions precedent contained in the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement to entering into this Amendment. All capitalized terms not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement.

                  3. Now, therefore, in consideration of the mutual agreements
herein contained, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, each party hereto agrees as follows:

                                   AMENDMENTS

                  SECTION 1. Amendments of Section 1.01. (a) Section 1.01 of the
Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall be and hereby is amended by deleting the
current definition of Determination Date and inserting in its place the
following definition, which shall read in its entirety as follows:

                  "Determination Date" shall mean, unless otherwise specified in
         the Supplement for a particular Series, the earlier of the third
         Business Day and the fifth calendar day (or if the fifth calendar day
         is not a Business Day, then the preceding Business Day) preceding each
         Distribution Date.

                  (b) Section 1.01 of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall
be and hereby is amended by adding the following definition, which shall read in
its entirety as follows:

                  "First Amendment Effective Date" means April 1, 2001.

                  (c) Section 1.01 of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall
be and hereby is amended by adding the following definition, which shall read in
its entirety as follows:

                  "Permitted Activities" means the primary activities of the
Trust, which are:

                                       1
<PAGE>

                  (a) holding Receivables transferred from the Transferors and
         the other assets of the Trust, including passive derivative financial
         instruments that pertain to beneficial interests issued or sold to
         parties other than the Transferors, their Affiliates or their agents;

                  (b) issuing Certificates and other interests in the Trust
         Property;

                  (c) receiving Collections and making payments on such
         Certificates  and interests in accordance  with the terms of this
         Agreement and any Supplement; and

                  (d) engaging in other activities that are necessary or
         incidental to accomplish these limited purposes, which activities
         cannot be contrary to the status of the Trust as a qualified special
         purpose entity under existing accounting literature.

                  SECTION 2. Amendment of Section 9.02. Section 9.02(a) of the
Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall be and hereby is amended by deleting the
second and third sentences thereof in their entirety, and inserted in their
place shall be the following:

         Within 15 days of the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of a
         Dissolution Event, the Trustee shall (i) publish a notice in an
         Authorized Newspaper that a Dissolution Event has occurred and that the
         Trustee intends to sell, dispose of or otherwise liquidate the
         Receivables and (ii) send written notice to the Investor
         Certificateholders describing the provisions of this Section 9.02 and
         requesting instructions from such Holders, which notice shall request
         each Investor Certificateholder to advise the Trustee in writing that
         it elects one of the following options: (A) the Investor
         Certificateholder wishes the Trustee to instruct the Servicer not to
         sell, dispose of or otherwise liquidate the Receivables, or (B) the
         Investor Certificateholder wishes the Trustee to instruct the Servicer
         to sell, dispose of or otherwise liquidate the Receivables and to
         instruct the Servicer to reconstitute the Trust upon the same terms and
         conditions set forth herein, or (C) the Investor Certificateholder
         refuses to advise the Trustee as to the specific action the Trustee
         shall instruct the Servicer to take. If after 90 days from the day
         notice pursuant to clause (i) above is first published (the
         "Publication Date"), the Trustee shall not have received written
         instructions of Holders of Investor Certificates representing Undivided
         Interests aggregating in excess of 50% of the related Invested Amount
         of each Series (or in the case of a series having more than one class
         of investor certificates, each class of such series) to the effect that
         the Trustee shall not instruct the Servicer to sell, dispose of, or
         otherwise liquidate the Receivables and to instruct the Servicer to
         reconstitute the Trust upon the same terms and conditions as set forth
         herein, the Trustee shall instruct the Servicer to proceed to use its
         best efforts to sell, dispose of, or otherwise liquidate the
         Receivables, which efforts shall include the solicitation of
         competitive bids and the Servicer shall proceed to use its best efforts
         to consummate the sale, liquidation or disposition of the Receivables
         as provided above on terms equivalent to the best purchase offer for
         the Receivables.

                  SECTION 3. Amendments of Section 13.01. (a) Section 13.01(b)
of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall be and hereby is amended by adding
at the end of such Section the following, which shall read in its entirety as
follows:

         ; provided further that such action shall not effect a change in the
         Permitted Activities of the Trust except for those changes necessary
         for compliance with accounting requirements or tax requirements or
         required to cure any ambiguity or correct or supplement any provision
         contained in the Agreement or any Supplement which may be defective or
         inconsistent with any provisions thereof.

                                        2
<PAGE>

                  (b) Section 13.01(c) of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement
shall be and hereby is amended by inserting after the word "Trustee" is first
used the following, which shall read in its entirety as follows:

         (A) in the case of a change in the Permitted Activities of the Trust
         which is not materially adverse to Holders of Investor Certificates,
         with the consent of Holders of Investor Certificates evidencing not
         less than 50% of the aggregated unpaid principal amount of the Investor
         Certificates of each outstanding Series affected by such change, unless
         such change is necessary for compliance with accounting requirements or
         tax requirements or required to cure any ambiguity or correct or
         supplement any provision contained in the Agreement or any Supplement
         which may be defective or inconsistent with any provisions thereof and
         (B) in all other cases

                  SECTION 4. Miscellaneous. The amendments provided for by this
Amendment shall be effective as of the First Amendment Effective Date upon
receipt by the Trustee of the following:

                  (a) Notification in writing from each of Moody's and Standard
& Poor's to the effect that this Amendment will not result in a reduction or
withdrawal of the rating of any outstanding Series or Class to which it is a
Rating Agency.

                  (b) An Opinion of Counsel to the effect that this Amendment
will not materially and adversely affect the interests of the Investor
Certificateholders of any outstanding Series.

                  (c) An Opinion of Counsel to the effect that this Amendment
will not cause the Trust to be characterized for Federal income tax purposes as
an association taxable as a corporation or otherwise have any material adverse
impact on the Federal income taxation of any outstanding Series of Investor
Certificates or any Certificate Owner.

                  (d)  Counterparts of this Amendment, duly executed by the
parties hereto.

                  SECTION 5. Pooling and Servicing Agreement in Full Force and
Effect as Amended. The Pooling and Servicing Agreement is hereby amended by
providing that all references therein to the "Pooling and Servicing Agreement,"
"this Agreement," "hereby," "hereof" and "herein" shall be deemed from and after
the effective date of this Amendment to be a reference to the Amended Pooling
and Servicing Agreement. Except as expressly amended hereby, all of the
representations, warranties, terms, covenants and conditions of the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement shall remain unamended and shall continue to be, and shall
remain, in full force and effect in accordance with their terms and except as
expressly provided herein, this Amendment shall not constitute or be deemed to
constitute a waiver of compliance with or consent to non-compliance with any
term or provision of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement.

                  SECTION 6. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in two
or more counterparts (and by different parties on separate counterparts), each
of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one
and the same instrument.

                  SECTION 7. Governing Law. THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ITS
CONFLICTS OF LAW PROVISIONS, AND THE OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES OF THE
PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH LAWS.

                                        3
<PAGE>

                  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank, RFC, the Servicer and the
Trustee have caused this Amendment to be duly executed and delivered by their
respective duly authorized officers as of the day and year first written above.

                         AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION BANK

                              By:  /s/ Maureen A. Ryan
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                   Name: Maureen A. Ryan
                                   Title:    Assistant Treasurer

                                    AMERICAN EXPRESS RECEIVABLES
                                     FINANCING CORPORATION

                            By:    /s/ Leslie R. Scharfstein
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                   Name: Leslie R. Scharfstein
                                   Title:    President

                                   AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL RELATED
                                     SERVICES COMPANY, INC.

                            By:    /s/ Jay B. Stevelman
                                   ---------------------------------------------
                                   Name: Jay B. Stevelman
                                   Title:    Senior Vice President and Treasurer

                                   THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
                                      as Trustee

                             By:    /s/ Catherine Cerilles
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Name: Catherine Cerilles
                                    Title:   Assistant Vice President

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