National Fuel Announces 107 Years of Uninterrupted Dividend Payments and 39 Consecutive Years of Increases

The Board of Directors of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) ("National Fuel” or "Company”) today approved a 3.1 percent increase in the dividend on the Company’s common stock, raising the quarterly rate from 32.5 cents per share as approved in June 2008 to 33.5 cents per share, for an annual rate of $1.34 per share. This action marks the 107^th year of uninterrupted dividend payments and the 39^th consecutive year that National Fuel has increased its dividend.

David F. Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of National Fuel said, "This year, perhaps more than ever, we are pleased to announce another increase in our dividend. Our ability to pay a dividend with such consistency, while others have been required to either cut or discontinue dividend payments, speaks to the value of our integrated business model. We operate National Fuel with a focus on providing long-term, sustainable results and, for more than a century, our shareholders have benefited from the strategic and deliberate diversification of our assets and the careful management of our resources. Today’s action further demonstrates our Board’s commitment to our dividend, which, in these challenging economic times, provides exceptional value to our shareholders.”

The dividend is payable July 15, 2009, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 30, 2009. The Company has approximately 79.5 million shares of common stock outstanding. It has no preferred stock outstanding.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company with $4.2 billion in assets comprised of the following four principal operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Utility, and Energy Marketing. Additional information about National Fuel is available at http://www.nationalfuelgas.com or through its investor information service at 1-800-334-2188.