ONEOK Partners Increases Quarterly Distribution

TULSA, Okla., April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of the general partner of ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS) today increased the partnership's quarterly cash distribution to 63.5 cents per unit from 61 cents per unit, effective for the first quarter 2012, resulting in an annualized cash distribution of $2.54 per unit. The distribution is payable May 15, 2012, to unitholders of record as of April 30, 2012.

"This distribution increase is a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment to deliver value to our unitholders," said John W. Gibson, chairman and chief executive officer of ONEOK Partners. "We expect that the execution of our four-year, $4.7 billion to $5.7 billion growth program will allow us to continue to increase earnings and distributions to our unitholders."

In its updated 2012 earnings guidance released on Feb. 20, 2012, the partnership stated that it expects to increase its distribution by 2.5 cents per quarter in 2012 and achieve 15 percent to 20 percent annual distribution growth in 2013 and 2014, subject to approval by the board of directors of the general partner.

ONEOK Partners has increased its distribution by approximately 59 percent since April 2006, when a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) became the sole general partner.

ONEOK Partners, L.P. (NYSE: OKS) is one of the largest publicly traded master limited partnerships, and is a leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas in the U.S. and owns one of the nation's premier natural gas liquids (NGL) systems, connecting NGL supply in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions with key market centers. Its general partner is a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a diversified energy company, which owns 43.4 percent of the overall partnership interest.  ONEOK is one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, and its energy services operation focuses primarily on marketing natural gas and related services throughout the U.S. 

Some of the statements contained and incorporated in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, as amended. The forward-looking statements relate to our anticipated financial performance, liquidity, management's plans and objectives for our future operations, our business prospects, the outcome of regulatory and legal proceedings, market conditions and other matters. We make these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 

Forward-looking statements include the items identified in the preceding paragraph, the information concerning possible or assumed future results of our operations and other statements contained or incorporated in this news release identified by words such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe," "should," "goal," "forecast," "guidance," "could," "may," "continue," "might," "potential," "scheduled" and other words and terms of similar meaning.

This news release serves as qualified notice to nominees as provided for under Treasury Regulation Sections 1.1446-4(b)(4) and (d). Please note that ONEOK Partners, L.P.'s quarterly cash distributions are treated as partnership distributions for federal income tax purposes and that 100 percent of these distributions to foreign investors are attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, all of ONEOK Partners, L.P.'s distributions to foreign investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest effective tax rate for individuals or corporations, as applicable. Nominees, and not ONEOK Partners, L.P., are treated as withholding agents responsible for withholding on the distributions received by them on behalf of foreign investors.

One should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Those factors may affect our operations, markets, products, services and prices. These and other risks are described in greater detail in Item 1A, Risk Factors, in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. All forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, subsequent events or change in circumstances, expectations or otherwise.

SOURCE ONEOK Partners, L.P.