Nicor Inc.. The Group's principal activities are to distribute gas, transport containerized freight in the Caribbean and provide unregulated energy products and services. The Group also provides natural gas storage and transmission-related services to marketers, other gas distribution companies and electric power-generation facilities. The operations are carried on in three segments: Gas distribution; shipping and other energy ventures. The gas distribution segment serves nearly 2 million customers in a service territory that covers most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. The shipping segment transports containerized freight between east coast of the United States and Canada to the Caribbean region. Other energy ventures provide products and services that meet customers' energy needs. Gas distribution accounted for 83% of 2002 revenues; Shipping, 14% and Other Energy ventures, 3%.