SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                               (AMENDMENT NO.: 0)*


NAME OF ISSUER:                     National Fuel Gas Company

TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:       Common Stock

CUSIP NUMBER:                       636180101

DATE OF EVENT WHICH REQUIRES FILING OF THIS STATEMENT: December 31, 2001

Check the  appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed: (X) Rule 13d-1(b) ( ) Rule 13d-1(c) ( ) Rule 13d-1(d)

*    The  remainder  of this  cover  page  shall be filled  out for a  reporting
     person's  initial  filing on this form with respect to the subject class of
     securities,  and for any subsequent amendment containing  information which
     would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

     The  information  required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed"  for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the  liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other  provisions of the Act  (however,  see
the Notes).

(Continued on the following page(s))

                                Page 1 of 6 Pages


                                       13G

CUSIP No.: 636180101


1.       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

Vanguard  Fiduciary  Trust  Company,  in its  capacity  as trustee  for  certain
employee benefit plan(s). I.R.S. Identification Number 23-2186884.

2.       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE [LINE] IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP

         Not Applicable            A.                        B.
                                                               -

3.       SEC USE ONLY


4.       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

         Pennsylvania

(For  questions  5-8,  report  the number of shares  beneficially  owned by each
reporting person with:)

5.       SOLE VOTING POWER

                           None

6.       SHARED VOTING POWER

                           3,994,717 Shares

7.       SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

                           None

8.       SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            3,994,717 Shares

                                Page 2 of 6 Pages





                                       13G

CUSIP No.: 636180101


9.       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                           3,994,717 Shares

10.      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES

                           Not applicable

11.      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

                           5.026%


12.      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

                           BK

                                Page 3 of 6 Pages




                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                  ------------

                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                                  ------------

ITEM 1 (A) - NAME OF ISSUER

                           National Fuel Gas Company

ITEM 1 (B) - ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICERS:

                           10 Lafayette Square
                           Buffalo, NY 14203

ITEM 2 (A) - NAME OF PERSON FILING:

Vanguard  Fiduciary  Trust  Company,  in its  capacity  as trustee  for  certain
employee benefit plan(s).

ITEM 2 (B) - ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE

                           500 Admiral Nelson Blvd.
                           Malvern, PA  19355

ITEM 2 (C) - CITIZENSHIP

                           Pennsylvania

ITEM 2 (D) - TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES

                           Common Stock

ITEM 2 (E) - CUSIP NUMBER

                           636180101

ITEM 3 - TYPE OF FILING:

If this statement is filed pursuant to Rule 13d-1(b),  or 13d-2(b) or (c), check
whether the person filing is a:

     (b)  X Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act.

                                Page 4 of 6 Pages


ITEM 4 - OWNERSHIP:

         (a) Amount Beneficially Owned:

                   3,994,717 Shares

         (b) Percent of Class:

                  5.026%

         (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:

               (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote: None

               (ii) shared  power  to  vote or to  direct  the  vote:  3,994,717
                    Shares*

               (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: None

               (iv) shared  power to dispose or to direct  the  disposition  of:
                    3,994,717 Shares**

*    Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Company is the trustee of certain employee benefit
     plans, which are subject to the Employee  Retirement Income Security Act of
     1974, as amended ("ERISA"). Shares of the issuer's Common Stock are held in
     trust for the benefit of employees  in the plans.  As of December 31, 2001,
     the trustee held 3,994,717 shares of the issuer's Common Stock on behalf of
     the plans, all of which had been allocated to plan  participants.  The plan
     trustee  votes  shares  allocated  to  participant  accounts as directed by
     participants.  Shares of the  issuer's  Common Stock held by the trustee on
     behalf of the  plans as to which  participants  have made no timely  voting
     directions,  are not voted (subject to the trustee's responsibilities under
     Section 404 of ERISA). For tender decisions,  if no instruction is received
     from a participant, the shares will not be tendered.

**   Shares of Common Stock are held in the issuer's  employee  benefit plans in
     various   accounts  and  were  allocated  by  the  source  of  contribution
     (employer,  the  predecessor  to the employer or the  employee).  Shares of
     Common  Stock held by the trustee on behalf of the plans may be disposed of
     by the plans or the trustee only in accordance with the terms of the plans.
     For tender decisions, if no instruction is received from a participant, the
     shares will not be tendered.

ITEM 5.  OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS.

ITEM 5.  OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS.

                           Not Applicable

ITEM 6.  OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.

     All of the securities are  beneficially  held by Vanguard  Fiduciary  Trust
Company in its fiduciary capacity, as trustee of certain employee benefit plans.
As a result,  participants  in the plans are  entitled to receive  dividends  or
proceeds  from the sale of shares  reported in this  Schedule 13G in  accordance
with the terms of the plans.

ITEM 7.  IDENTIFICATION  AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED THE
SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY.

                           Not Applicable

                                Page 5 of 6 Pages



ITEM 8.  IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.

                           Not Applicable

ITEM 9.  NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP.

                           Not Applicable

ITEM 10. CERTIFICATION.

     By signing  below I certify  that,  to the best of my knowledge and belief,
the  securities  referred to above were  acquired  and are held in the  ordinary
course of  business  and were not  acquired  and are not held for the purpose or
with the effect of  changing  or  influencing  the  control of the issuer of the
securities  and were not  acquired and are not held in  connection  with or as a
participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.

     Vanguard  Fiduciary  Trust Company  disclaims  beneficial  ownership of all
shares held in trust by the trustee that have been  allocated to the  individual
accounts of participants  in the plans for which  directions have been received,
pursuant to Rule 13d-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Signature

     After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my  knowledge  and belief,  I
certify that the information  set forth in this statement is true,  complete and
correct.



DATE: FEBRUARY 13, 2002


                                       VANGUARD FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY, TRUSTEE



                                              BY:_______________________________
                                            NAME:  JOSEPH DIETRICK
                                           TITLE: ASSISTANT SECRETARY


                                Page 6 of 6 Pages