Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP increased its quarterly cash distribution per common unit to USD 1.07 payable on May 14th 2010, to unit holders of record as of April 30th 2010. The distribution represents a 2% increase over the first quarter 2009 cash distribution per unit of USD 1.05.

KMP reported first quarter distributable cash flow before certain items of USD 353.7 million, up by 36% from USD 260.0 million for the comparable period last year. Distributable cash flow per unit before certain items was USD 1.18, up 22% from USD 0.97 per unit for the first quarter of 2009. Net income attributable to KMP before certain items was USD 378.7 million versus USD 281.9 million for the same period last year. Including certain items, net income attributable to KMP was USD 225.3 million versus USD 263.9 million for the first quarter of 2009. Certain items totaled a loss of approximately USD 156 million, which was essentially all attributable to rate case litigation involving the company's products pipelines on the West Coast.

Mr Richard D Kinder chairman & CEO of KMP said that "KMP had a strong first quarter with all five of our business segments producing substantially higher results than in the first quarter of 2009. While we still experienced some lingering headwinds, the markets overall have improved since the first quarter last year. In total, our businesses produced USD 826.9 million in segment earnings before DD&A, a 21% increase compared to the first quarter of 2009. Other highlights included three terminal acquisitions in the first quarter and the recently announced USD 875 million JV with Petrohawk in the Haynesville Shale in Louisiana. Looking ahead, we are confident that we will meet our previously announced 2010 budget to pay cash distributions of USD 4.40 per unit, which would be a 4.8% increase over the USD 4.20 per unit we distributed in 2009."