Houston, Texas, April 9, 1998 -Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a business unit of El Paso Energy Corporation (NYSE:EPG), announced today results of the binding open seasons for the Eastern Express Project 2000 and the Express 500 Expansion Project. Precedent agreements have been executed with shippers for both projects, and Tennessee Gas Pipeline remains on schedule for filing applications with the FERC later this year.

"Eastern Express Project 2000 and Express 500 were developed to meet the needs of our customers," said John Somerhalder, president of Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company. "We will continue to work with shippers in the supply and market areas to phase in additional capacity as it is needed. Our existing system is well positioned to respond to market needs on a rational and economically sound basis."

Eastern Express Project 2000 will provide gas transportation service to growth markets in New England, primarily driven by significant development activity in the power generation sector. Tennessee Gas Pipeline received precedent agreements covering transportation of 900 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) to New England. Shippers included power generators, marketers and LDCs. Receipts were predominantly from the planned interconnects with the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System and the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline projects, and from Niagara Falls, New York at the interconnection with TransCanada Gas Pipeline. Tennessee Gas Pipeline is currently assessing the contracts and is in discussion with shippers to avoid redundancies and clarify contracting issues before commencing the design.

The Express 500 Project provides shippers with firm transportation capacity in the Gulf of Mexico supply area by alleviating current and projected bottlenecks along Tennessee Gas Pipeline's 500 line. Express 500 is an important solution to the need for additional infrastructure to handle significant incremental natural gas supplies being developed in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Tennessee Gas Pipeline has received precedent agreements for approximately 220 MMcf/d for service from Gulf Coast sources to various pipeline interconnects, predominantly in Tennessee Gas Pipeline's Gulf Coast supply region. Shippers are from the producer, marketer and end user sectors. These contracts are also being reviewed, and design work will commence in the near future.

With over $9 billion in assets, El Paso Energy Corporation provides energy solutions through five business units: Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, El Paso Natural Gas Company, El Paso Field Services Company, El Paso Energy Marketing Company, and El Paso Energy International Company. The company owns the nation's only integrated coast-to-coast natural gas pipeline system and has operations in interstate natural gas transmission, gas gathering and processing, energy marketing, and international infrastructure development.

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 companies have 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. While the companies make these statements and projections in good faith, neither the companies nor their managements can guarantee that the anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference should be made to the companies' (and their affiliates') Securities and Exchange Commission filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results.