PITTSBURGH, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Natural Gas Company
(NYSE: CNG) said today that its earnings in the quarter ending March 31 won't
meet estimates by securities analysts that currently average $1.56 a share.
    The company said that warm winter weather, higher than expected losses in
the company's non-utility energy marketing services business due to adverse
price movements in gas and electricity, and lower gas and oil wellhead prices
have all combined to hold earnings down in the current quarter.  In the first
quarter of 1997, CNG earned $171.5 million, or $1.74 a share, on a diluted
basis.  Final results for the 1998 first period will be available on April 30.
    Consolidated Natural Gas Company is one of the nation's largest producers,
transporters and distributors of natural gas, and offers energy marketing
services throughout North America.  The company's natural gas transmission and
distribution operations serve customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West
Virginia, New York and other states in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
CNG explores for and produces natural gas and oil in the United States and
Canada.  The company also selectively participates in energy businesses
abroad.
    This press release contains forward-looking statements.  The company
wishes to caution readers that the assumptions which form the basis for
forward-looking statements with respect to or that may impact earnings for
fiscal 1998, and thereafter, include many factors that are beyond the
company's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as estimates of
future market conditions and the behavior of other market participants.  Other
factors include, but are not limited to, weather conditions, economic
conditions in the company's service territory, fluctuations in energy-related
commodity prices, conversion activity, other marketing efforts and other
uncertainties.
    CNG's recent news releases are available 24 hours a day on the Internet,
by fax machine, or by voice recording.  On the Internet, use CNG's web site:
http://www.cng.com   For faxing, call 1-800-758-5804 on a touch-tone phone and
enter CNG's extension number, which is 203456.  From a menu, you will then be
able to select releases that will be faxed to you immediately without charge.
For voice recordings, call 1-888-CNG-NEWS.  This line is toll-free.

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