HOUSTON, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) today announced that Thomas R. McDade has resigned from the El Paso Corporation board of directors effective August 31, 2003. McDade's decision will allow him to devote more time to his law practice at McDade, Fogler, Maines, L.L.P., where he is a senior partner. McDade became an El Paso director in January 2001 following the company's merger with The Coastal Corporation. He was a director of The Coastal Corporation from 1993 until that time.

"Tom has been an active and insightful director, and the board greatly appreciates his many contributions to El Paso," said Ronald L. Kuehn, Jr., chairman of the El Paso board of directors. "We will miss Tom's perspective and wish him well in his future endeavors."

With the departure of Mr. McDade, El Paso's board now has 12 members. Douglas L. Foshee joined the board when he became president and chief executive officer on September 2, 2003. He is the only member of management serving on the company's board.

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, 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-                             09/04/2003
    /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
ST:  Texas
IN:  OIL
SU:  PER



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7691 09/04/2003 16:07 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com