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ONEOK FINANCIAL NEWS
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                  ONEOK, INC. CONTACT: WELDON WATSON, 918/588-7158
P. O. BOX 871
       TULSA, OK 74102-0871 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 21, 1999


                       ONEOK ANNOUNCES KEY OFFICER CHANGES
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         TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- LARRY BRUMMETT, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
OF ONEOK, INC., ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT JIM KNEALE WILL BECOME VICE PRESIDENT AND
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF THE COMPANY EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 1999. KNEALE REPLACES
JERRY NEAL, WHO WILL RETIRE MARCH 31, 1999.

         NEAL IS A 38-YEAR VETERAN EMPLOYEE OF THE COMPANY. HE WAS NAMED
TREASURER OF ONEOK IN 1989, BECOMING VICE PRESIDENT-FINANCE IN 1990 AND CHIEF
FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER IN 1992.

         JIM KNEALE, 47, HAS BEEN PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF
OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS COMPANY, ONEOK'S GAS DISTRIBUTION OPERATION SERVING 750,000
CUSTOMERS IN THE SOONER STATE. KNEALE HAS BEEN EMPLOYED BY ONEOK SINCE 1981. HE
HAS HELD SEVERAL OFFICER POSITIONS IN BOTH THE REGULATED AND NONREGULATED ENERGY
OPERATIONS AT ONEOK DURING THE LAST 18 YEARS. PRIOR TO COMING TO ONEOK HE WAS
EMPLOYED BY A NATIONAL CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.

         KNEALE GRADUATED FROM WEST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY IN 1973 WITH A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING. HE IS ALSO A CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT.

         ED FARRELL, 55, VICE PRESIDENT OF ONEOK GAS MARKETING, WILL BECOME
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF OKLAHOMA NATURAL GAS COMPANY EFFECTIVE
APRIL 1, 1999. FARRELL BECAME AN EMPLOYEE OF ONEOK IN SEPTEMBER OF 1995. HE HAS
SERVED AS A FOUNDING DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE OKLAHOMA ALLIANCE FOR
MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE, INC., A PRIVATE-PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP DESIGNED TO DELIVER
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND MODERNIZATION SERVICES TO SMALL AND MID-SIZED
MANUFACTURERS. HE HAS ALSO BEEN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF STAIRMASTER, A
WELL-KNOWN FITNESS EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
OF SOUTHWEST TUBE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LOCATED IN SAND SPRINGS, OKLAHOMA.

         HE EARNED A BS DEGREE FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY AT ANNAPOLIS
IN 1964 AND AN MBA FROM HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL IN 1972.

         ONEOK, INC., (NYSE:OKE) IS ENGAGED IN NATURAL GAS INTRASTATE
DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION, GAS PROCESSING, GAS MARKETING AND OIL AND GAS
PRODUCTION. ONEOK HAS APPROXIMATELY 31.6 MILLION SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
OUTSTANDING. INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT
HTTP://WWW.ONEOK.COM.













