HOUSTON, July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP), today announced it is holding a non-binding open season to assess market interest in additional firm capacity to be created by its proposed Freedom Trail expansion project. The open season begins today and will conclude on Monday, August 11, 2003.

This proposed project is designed to increase mainline capacity on Tennessee's Line 200 located in New York and Massachusetts by 50,000 to 150,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day (Dth/d) with up to an additional 40,000 horsepower of compression and up to 40 miles of new pipeline looped along existing right of way. The project would enable customers in the Northeastern United States to access various supply points along Tennessee's system including market and supply area storage, the Gulf of Mexico (Zones 0 and 1), and the Niagara Interconnect with TransCanada Pipeline. This incremental capacity would provide service to New England as well as New York City and/or Long Island via deliveries to existing and proposed downstream pipelines directly serving these markets. The project is scheduled to begin service in 2006.

"While the Northeast experienced one of the coldest winters in recent years, we expect summer natural gas demand also will be at record levels due to additional gas-fired power generation coming online and historically low storage levels in the area," said Stephen C. Beasley, president of Tennessee Gas Pipeline. "The Freedom Trail expansion project would enable Tennessee to minimize environmental impact by using existing pipeline easements and upgrading existing compressor stations while delivering competitively priced natural gas to these markets."

Interested parties may obtain open season Request Forms and Guidelines by contacting Mr. Jim Scabareti at (617) 217-2115 or at jim.scabareti@elpaso.com .

El Paso Corporation is the leading provider of natural gas services and the largest pipeline company in North America. The company has core businesses in pipelines, production, and midstream services. Rich in assets, El Paso is committed to developing and delivering new energy supplies and to meeting the growing demand for new energy infrastructure. For more information, visit www.elpaso.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements and projections, made in reliance on the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and assumptions on which these statements and projections are based are current, reasonable, and complete. However, a variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, including, without limitation, our ability to attract and retain qualified members of the Board of Directors; the successful recruitment and retention of a qualified CEO; the successful implementation of the 2003 operational and financial plan; the successful implementation of the settlement related to the Western Energy Crisis; actions by the credit rating agencies; the successful close of financing transactions; our ability to successfully exit the energy trading business; our ability to divest of certain non-core assets; changes in commodity prices for oil, natural gas, and power; general economic and weather conditions in geographic regions or markets served by El Paso Corporation and its affiliates, or where operations of the company and its affiliates are located; the uncertainties associated with governmental regulation; political and currency risks associated with international operations of the company and its affiliates; inability to realize anticipated synergies and cost savings associated with restructurings and divestitures on a timely basis; difficulty in integration of the operations of previously acquired companies, competition, and other factors described in the company's (and its affiliates') Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference must be made to those filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results. The company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by the company, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE  El Paso Corporation
    -0-                             07/07/2003
    /CONTACT:  Communications and Government Affairs, Norma F. Dunn, Senior
Vice President, +1-713-420-3750, or fax, +1-713-420-3632, or Investor
Relations, Bruce L. Connery, Vice President, +1-713-420-5855, or fax,
+1-713-420-4417, both of El Paso Corporation/
    /Web site:  http://www.elpaso.com /
    (EP)

CO:  El Paso Corporation; Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company
ST:  Texas, New York, Massachusetts
IN:  OIL
SU:



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9905 07/07/2003 08:44 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com