SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K



                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                           the Securities Act of 1934





         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): MAY 15, 2002





                         NORTHERN BORDER PARTNERS, L.P.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)







          DELAWARE                       1-12202                 93-1120873
(State or other jurisdiction           (Commission            (I.R.S. Employer
      of incorporation)                File Number)          Identification No.)


               1111 SOUTH 103RD STREET
                   OMAHA, NEBRASKA                                  68124
      (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)




                                 (877) 208-7318
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

         Enron North America Corp. ("ENA"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Enron
Corp. that has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy
Court for the Southern District of New York ("Bankruptcy Court"), is a party to
shipper contracts obligating ENA to pay for 3.4% of Northern Border Pipeline
Company's capacity on an annualized basis. Northern Border Pipeline Company
("NBPL") filed with the Bankruptcy Court a motion, on April 9, 2002, to compel
ENA to assume or reject their executory contracts and for authorization to
terminate their contracts with the hearing set for May 16, 2002 ("Motion").

         On May 15, 2002, NBPL and ENA entered into a Stipulation and Order
resolving the Motion. The Stipulation and Order was filed on May 16, 2002
seeking Bankruptcy Court approval. Its principal terms provide that ENA agrees
that upon the entry of the Stipulation and Order by the Court ("Effective Date")
all but one of their contracts shall be deemed rejected and terminated. NBPL
agrees within five business days of the Effective Date to post the capacity
(constituting approximately 1.7% of the total capacity previously held by ENA)
and to award that capacity (or portions thereof) to bidders in accordance with
its Tariff. For the remaining contract (covering the remaining 1.7% of capacity
previously held by ENA), ENA agrees to effect a permanent capacity release, an
assumption, or a rejection on or before October 31, 2002. Prior to that action
by ENA, NBPL may act on behalf of ENA as necessary to post capacity available
under this contract, and award the capacity on a interim basis in accordance
with its Tariff. Payments actually realized by NBPL for capacity awarded in
respect of any of these contracts shall act as mitigation of NBPL's claims
against ENA. ENA and NBPL reserve all of their rights, claims, objections, and
defenses, including without limitation, those in respect of (i) any unpaid
prepetition claims, (ii) any rejection damage claims under 11 U.S.C. Sections
365 and 502(a) and (iii) any unpaid administrative expense claims that could be
asserted by NBPL.

         Objections to the Stipulation and Order may be filed by third parties
until June 10, 2002. The Stipulation and Order is scheduled to be presented at
the June 13, 2002 hearing for Bankruptcy Court approval.


                                   SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                         Northern Border Partners, L.P.
                                         (A Delaware Limited Partnership)



Dated: May 24, 2002                      By: /s/ Jerry L. Peters
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Jerry L. Peters
                                            Chief Financial & Accounting Officer