-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, CdkOte0lf0f8XTwJz1zq6R3a6gFNW9cLFugwXyhP3IYuNsWuCiOfaqZBq11lPwGj Q6qpyrLyN0CsSNQl48rDgg== 0000895345-07-000511.txt : 20070914 0000895345-07-000511.hdr.sgml : 20070914 20070914164821 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000895345-07-000511 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: SC 13D/A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 FILED AS OF DATE: 20070914 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20070914 SUBJECT COMPANY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: NATIONAL FUEL GAS CO CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000070145 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION [4924] IRS NUMBER: 131086010 STATE OF INCORPORATION: NJ FISCAL YEAR END: 0907 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: SC 13D/A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 005-37191 FILM NUMBER: 071118170 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 6363 MAIN STREET CITY: WILLIAMSVILLE STATE: NY ZIP: 14221-5887 BUSINESS PHONE: 716-857-7000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 6363 MAIN STREET STREET 2: 6363 MAIN STREET CITY: WILLIAMSVILLE STATE: NY ZIP: 14221-5887 FILED BY: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: New Mountain Vantage LP CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0001349525 IRS NUMBER: 000000000 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: SC 13D/A BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 787 SEVENTH AVENUE STREET 2: 49TH FLOOR CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10019 BUSINESS PHONE: 212-720-0300 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 787 SEVENTH AVENUE STREET 2: 49TH FLOOR CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10019 SC 13D/A 1 jb13da-national_newmountain.htm SCHEDULE 13D/A jb13da-national_newmountain.htm

 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
SCHEDULE 13D
 
(Amendment No. 4)*
 
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
NATIONAL FUEL GAS COMPANY

(Name of Issuer)
 
Common Stock, par value $1 per share

(Title of Class of Securities)
 
636180101

(CUSIP Number)
 
Steven B. Klinsky
New Mountain Vantage, L.P.
787 Seventh Avenue, 49th Floor
New York, NY  10019
(212) 720-0300
 
Copies to:

Paul Reinstein
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
One New York Plaza
New York, NY  10004-1980
(212) 859-8000
 

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized
to Receive Notices and Communications)
 
September 14, 2007

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement)
 
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§ 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box: [   ]
 
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
 
The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).
 
 

 
This Amendment No. 4, filed by New Mountain Vantage GP, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“Vantage GP”), New Mountain Vantage, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“NMV”), New Mountain Vantage (California), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“NMVC”), New Mountain Vantage (Texas), L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“NMVT”), New Mountain Vantage Advisers, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“NMV Advisers”), New Mountain Vantage (Cayman) Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempt limited company (“NMV Offshore”), New Mountain Vantage HoldCo Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempt limited company (“NMV Offshore HoldCo”), Mr. Steven B. Klinsky (collectively, the “NMV Entities”), NMV Special Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“NMVSH”), and the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, a unit of the California State and Consumer Services Agency charged with oversight of the Public Employees’ Retirement Fund (“CalPERS”), (NMV Entities, NMVSH and CalPERS, collectively, the “Reporting Persons”), amends and supplements the Schedule 13D (the “Schedule 13D”) filed by the Reporting Persons with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on October 30, 2006, as amended, relating to the common stock, par value $1 per share (“Common Stock”), of National Fuel Gas Company, a New Jersey corporation (the “Issuer”).   NMV, NMVC, NMVT, NMV Offshore HoldCo, NMVSH and CalPERS are referred to together as the “Purchasers.”1
 
ITEM 4.
PURPOSE OF TRANSACTION
 
Item 4 is hereby amended by adding the following paragraphs to the end thereof:
 
On September 12, 2007, the Issuer responded to NMV with a letter, a copy of which was also attached as an exhibit to the Issuer’s Current Report of Form 8-K filed on September 13, 2007.  On September 14, 2007, the Reporting Persons sent a letter, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.5, to Philip C. Ackerman, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Issuer, responding to the Issuer’s letter from September 12, 2007.
 
ITEM 7.
MATERIAL TO BE FILED AS EXHIBITS
 
99.5           Letter from the Reporting Persons to Philip C. Ackerman, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Issuer, dated as of September 14, 2007
 


SIGNATURE
 
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
 
 
Date:  September 14, 2007
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE GP, L.L.C.
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE, L.P.
 
By: New Mountain Vantage GP, LLC,
       its general partner
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE
          (CALIFORNIA), L.P.
 
By: New Mountain Vantage GP, L.L.C.,
        its general partner
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE (TEXAS), L.P.
 
By: New Mountain Vantage GP, LLC,
        its general partner
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE ADVISERS, L.L.C.
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE (CAYMAN) LTD.
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Director
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE HOLDCO LTD.
 
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Director
 
 
 
 
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky                           
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
 
NMV SPECIAL HOLDINGS, L.L.C.
 
By: New Mountain Vantage GP, L.L.C.,
       its managing member
 
 
By:
/s/ Steven B. Klinsky
 
Steven B. Klinsky
 
 
Managing Member
 
 
 
California Public Employees' Retirement System
/s/ Christianna Wood                               _
    By: Christianna Wood
    Title: Senior Investment Officer
 
 
 
 
EX-99.5 2 jb13daex99_5.htm jb13daex99_5.htm
 
Exhibit 99.5
 
 
 
 
NEW MOUNTAIN VANTAGE  ADVISERSL.L.C.

787 SEVENTH AVENUE, 49TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10019
TEL:     212-720-0300         FAX:     212-582-2277
 


 
Mr. Philip C. Ackerman
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
National Fuel Gas Company
Williamsville, NY 14221

September 14, 2007

Dear Phil:

I received your letter dated September 12, 2007.

With respect to the analysis we had done by Schlumberger, which you requested in your letter, please recall that I and a team of four other executives representing New Mountain Vantage traveled to your offices in Williamsville on December 12, 2006 and reviewed with you in detail our estimates of the potential value of NFG’s Appalachian acreage and the supporting data from Schlumberger.  The meeting lasted about three hours, and the attendees from NFG who accompanied you were Ron Tanski (Treasurer and Principal Financial Officer), Barry McMahan (Senior Vice President of Seneca Resources), Dale Rowekamp (General Manager, East Division, Seneca Resources), Cary Kuminecz (Senior Geologist, East Division, Seneca Resources), Kevin Ryan (Reservoir Manager, Seneca Resources) and Margaret Suto (Director, Investor Relations).

At that meeting, we also presented other confirming and supporting data, including the results of a land man report we commissioned and the practices of other E&P companies in the Appalachian region.  Our group of executives included Fox Benton, the former CFO of Ultra Petroleum and Fred Salerno, the former Vice Chairman and CFO of Verizon Communications and a former board member of KeySpan, Consolidated Edison and Orion Power.  At the meeting you said that our findings were “directionally correct.”  We encouraged you to speak to Schlumberger directly and to retain them to develop a 3-P study of Appalachia and a determination of NFG’s available drilling locations.  (Subsequently, we sent our presentation materials from that meeting to Robert Brady, the lead independent director of NFG.)  Following the December 2006 meeting, we released Schlumberger to work for NFG.
 
On May 4, 2007, I sent you an email message that questioned the Upper Devonian recoverable reserve estimates that the Company put forth in an 8-K filed on April 27, 2007.  I offered in that email to arrange a call with the head of the Pittsburgh office of Schlumberger so that he could lend their professional perspective on the far superior results that other operators in the Upper Devonian are experiencing as compared to NFG. We continue to encourage you to reach out to Schlumberger directly regarding NFG’s opportunities in Appalachia.

In short, I believe we have been quite forthcoming with our thinking and our analysis.  We look forward to the Company’s timely response to each of the recommendations in our September 11, 2007 letter.


Sincerely,
 
/s/ David M. DiDomenico
 
David M. DiDomenico
Managing Director

 
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