EOTT Energy Partners LP and Northern Border Pipeline said Arthur Andersen LLP no longer wants to be their auditor. The two companies said Andersen indicated its resignation was due to “concerns about its ability, under professional standards regarding independence, to continue to act as auditor…in light of recent events involving Enron Corp.”

EOTT’s general partner, EOTT Energy Corp. is a direct subsidiary of Enron Corp. EOTT, however, has not declared bankruptcy. Northern Border Pipeline Co. is 70% owned by Northern Border Partners L.P., whose general partners are Northern Plains Natural Gas and Pan Border Gas, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Enron. Neither Northern Plains nor Pan Border has been included in Enron’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Andersen did indicate that it has not withdrawn any of its audit opinions on the companies, nor are the companies aware of any disagreements with Andersen concerning accounting issues.

Northern Border immediately engaged KPMG LLP as its independent auditor.

EOTT officials said the withdrawal of Andersen probably would delay the filing of its audited financials for 2001 on Form 10-K. EOTT is currently talking to major accounting firms and plans to name a replacement auditor as soon as possible. A Form 8-K current report covering the withdrawal of Andersen was expected to be filed by EOTT with the SEC on Monday.

EOTT is a major liquids pipeline company with 8,000 miles of active intrastate and interstate pipeline and gathering systems. It also owns and operates a hydrocarbon processing plant and a natural gas liquids storage and pipeline grid system.

Northern Border’s main asset is a 1,249-mile interstate line that transports natural gas from the Montana-Saskatchewan border to interconnecting pipelines in the upper Midwestern United States

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