UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) December 22, 2008

 

EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

PENNSYLVANIA

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

 

 

(412) 553-5700

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

NONE

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions ( see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o    Soliciting materials pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

 

Item 7.01               Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On December 22, 2008, Equitable Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that its subsidiary, Equitable Gas Company, had reached a settlement of its Pennsylvania rate case that would result in a projected revenue increase of approximately $38.3 million annually.  Equitable Gas Company had originally requested a rate increase totaling $51.9 million annually. The settlement is unopposed by the active parties to the proceeding and is subject to the recommendation of a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (“PUC”) Administrative Law Judge and the approval of the PUC, which is expected before March 31, 2009.

 

This is the first delivery rate increase Equitable Gas Company has requested in more than a decade. Since 1997, Equitable Gas Company has invested more than $360 million to upgrade its pipeline infrastructure, improve the efficiency of its operations, and enhance the quality of its customer service.    As a result of these investments, the company now ranks among the highest in Pennsylvania in gas utility call center service levels and has achieved documented improvements in on-time scheduled appointment performance and safety.

 

The information in this Item 7.01 of Form 8-K shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liability of such section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act, regardless of the general incorporation language of such filing, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

 

Disclosures in this Form 8-K contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Exchange Act and Section 27A of the Securities Act.  Statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts are forward-looking.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this Form 8-K specifically include the guidance regarding the projected revenue increase resulting from the rate case settlement agreement and the expected timing of PUC approval.  These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results.  Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.  The Company has based these forward-looking statements on current expectations and assumptions about future events. While the Company considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance and results of the Company’s business and forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those set forth under Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of the Company’s most recently filed Form 10-K.

 

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SIGNATURE

 

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 hereunto duly authorized.

 

	EQUITABLE RESOURCES, INC.
	(Registrant)
	By:	/s/ Philip P. Conti
		Philip P. Conti
		Senior Vice President and
		Chief Financial Officer
Date: December 22, 2008

 

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