HOUSTON, TEXAS, March 8, 2005—Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of El Paso Corporation (NYSE:EP), announced today a non-binding open season for its new Line 100/Carthage Lateral Expansion project. This expansion is designed to provide incremental capacity on Tennessee's Carthage Lateral in Texas as well as provide additional access to supplies from Texas and northern Louisiana through Tennessee's Line 100. The open season began today, March 8, 2005, and will end on March 31, 2005.

Tennessee's Carthage Lateral in Panola County, Texas, and DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, is operating at maximum capacity and Tennessee has received a number of inquiries about its ability to expand the capacity of this lateral. In addition, the portion of Tennessee's Line 100 that runs through Texas and northern Louisiana is fully subscribed and experiencing high-customer utilization. The proposed Line 100/Carthage Lateral Expansion project will provide Carthage area suppliers as well as suppliers in Texas and northern Louisiana with the ability to move additional volumes into the growing markets served by Tennessee. The final scope of this project depends upon the customer response to this open season. The Line100/Carthage Lateral Expansion project is anticipated to commence service in the second quarter of 2006.

"We're pleased to add another supply-driven project to our expanding portfolio of system expansions," said Stephen C. Beasley, president of El Paso's Eastern Pipeline Group. "Basins in east Texas and north Louisiana are rapidly emerging as important supply sources. Our Line 100/Carthage Lateral expansion will help our customers access these growing supply areas and connect the production in these basins with the premier markets across Tennessee's system."

For more information or to request an open season packet, please contact either of the parties listed below:

Preston Troutman
Phone: 713-420-3022
Email: Preston.Troutman@ElPaso.com

Andy Levine
Phone: 713-420-2699
Email: Andy.Levine@ElPaso.com

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 www.elpaso.com.

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 successfully construct and operate the proposed pipeline facilities described in this release; general economic 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, including receipt of governmental approvals to construct expansion projects; 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.