HOUSTON, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) recently announced the recipients of the company's first-ever Board Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) Excellence Award. The award recognizes excellent HSE performance and further advances El Paso's values of safety and environmental stewardship by individual businesses and their employees. The award is the highest internal recognition for HSE achievements.

Recipients of the award for 2006 are El Paso Pipeline Group's Southeast Division, which has operations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; and El Paso Exploration & Production Company's White Oak Creek Field, a producing field onshore in Alabama.

In conjunction with the Board, senior El Paso management, including members of the HSE management team, judged submissions for the awards. Candidates were judged on a slate of HSE performance measures, including incidents of work-related injuries, a demonstrated management commitment to HSE excellence, proactive initiatives, incident reporting/management excellence, and contractor HSE management.

"We're proud to honor the Southeast Division and White Oak Creek Field team members on their demonstrated commitment to HSE excellence and for raising the bar for all of us as we seek to provide natural gas and related energy products in a safe, efficient, and dependable manner," said Doug Foshee, El Paso Corporation's president and chief executive officer. "This award reflects our commitment to environmental, health, and safety excellence at the highest level. Our directors review the nominations, select the winners, and present the awards in person to emphasize the importance of safety as one of our core values and promoting good health and environmental stewardship in the workplace."

El Paso's Health, Safety & Environmental Board Committee is comprised of four independent directors. The committee's purpose is to support the company's continuing commitment to the environment and ensure that El Paso's businesses and facilities are operated and maintained in a safe manner. The committee charter can be found on El Paso's Web site at http://www.elpaso.com/investor/governdocs/hse.pdf.

El Paso Corporation provides natural gas and related energy products in a safe, efficient, and dependable manner. The company owns North America's largest natural gas pipeline system and one of North America's largest independent natural gas producers. For more information, visit http://www.elpaso.com.

     Contacts
     Investor and Public Relations
     Bruce L. Connery, Vice President
     Office:  (713) 420-5855
     Fax:     (713) 420-4417

     Media Relations
     Richard Wheatley, Manager
     Office:  (713) 420-6828
     Fax:     (713) 420-6341

    Editor's Note:
    The 2006 Board HSE Excellence Award was based on the following
    accomplishments:

    Southeast Division:
     -- 11 months "Triple Zero" (no lost time, no medical injuries, or
        preventable incidents)
     -- Mechanical Maintenance Team Triple Zero all year
     -- "Got Gloves Initiative" for hand safety - a Pipeline Group best
        practice
     -- Pre-Job Planning Checklist - a best practice
     -- 41 agency inspections with zero findings
     -- 79 emissions tests with 100 percent compliance
     -- Implementation of best practice: drum labeling/storage
     -- Engine Compressor Health Optimization ("ECHO") Program results: 134
        percent of goal and 64 percent improvement vs. 2005. The program seeks
        to achieve optimum compressor efficiencies


    White Oak Creek Field:
     -- Triple Zero Accidents during 2006 for employees and contractors
     -- No Reportable Quantity discharges - federal or state releases
     -- 460 wells operated safely; including drilling of 27 new wells and one
        new field, all brought onto production safely with no additional
        employees
     -- 100 percent completion of mandatory Environmental, Health, and Safety
        Training
     -- Instituted a unique inspection program using tags and rewards for
        corrective actions
     -- Created unique "Back in Safely" signage program that was adopted by
        other regions
     -- Hosted first contractor orientation with 100+ attendees

SOURCE El Paso Corporation
09/13/2007

CONTACT: Investor and Public Relations, Bruce L. Connery, Vice President of El Paso Corporation, +1-713-420-5855, fax, +1-713-420-4417, or Media Relations, Richard Wheatley, Manager of El Paso Corporation, +1-713-420-6828, fax, +1-713-420-6341

3445 09/13/2007 11:50 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com