Houston, Texas, January 20, 1998-El Paso Energy Corporation (NYSE:EPG) has named C. Dana Rice vice president and treasurer of El Paso Energy Corporation, reporting to H. Brent Austin, executive vice president and chief financial officer. Mr. Rice, 42, has served as vice president of finance for Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a business unit of El Paso Energy, since the acquisition of Tenneco Energy in December 1996. Prior to that, he was director of accounting at El Paso Natural Gas Company. He has been with the company since 1977. He is a certified public accountant and earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Greg G. Gruber has been promoted to vice president of finance for Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, reporting to John W. Somerhalder, president of Tennessee Gas Pipeline. Mr. Gruber, 49, has been director of financial analysis and reporting for Tennessee Gas Pipeline since the acquisition of Tenneco Energy in December 1996. Prior to that, he was assistant controller at Tenneco Energy. He has been with the company since 1994 and has held various financial positions in the energy industry during the past 26 years. Mr. Gruber is a certified public accountant, earned a bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Kansas and a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

El Paso Energy Corporation provides total energy solutions through five business units: El Paso Natural Gas Company, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, El Paso Field Services Company, El Paso Energy Marketing Company and El Paso Energy International Company. With offices worldwide, the company 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 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. While the company makes these statements and projections in good faith, neither the company nor its management can guarantee that the anticipated future results will be achieved. Reference should be made to the company's (and its affiliates') Securities and Exchange Commission filings for additional important factors that may affect actual results.