Houston, Texas, March 25, 1999-East Tennessee Natural Gas Company, a unit of El Paso Energy Corporation (NYSE:EPG), announced today an open season for incremental capacity along its mainline system located in Tennessee and Virginia. The proposed expansion project would entail the construction of mainline pipeline, compression and related facilities to meet the incremental capacity requirements requested in the open season. Service is targeted to commence November 1, 2000.

This open season is a continuation of El Paso Energy's commitment to serve the growth needs of the East Tennessee market. Since 1996, El Paso Energy has added over 75,000 dekatherms per day of capacity to this growing market, an increase of over 10 percent of East Tennessee's total capacity.

This project will allow shippers on East Tennessee to take advantage of exciting projects that have the ability to bring new sources of gas to the East Tennessee market. Two recent developments include pipeline projects projected to bring an additional 2 billion cubic feet per day of western Canadian gas to the Chicago hub and the development of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico production. Through the El Paso Energy pipelines, East Tennessee shippers can directly connect to these new sources of supply as well as continue to enjoy access to low-cost Gulf Coast and Texas supply basins.

Interested parties should send a written request for service to Bryan Neskora at El Paso Energy, P.O. Box 2511, Houston, Texas 77252, FAX: (713) 420-2369, no later than 5 PM CST, April 30, 1999. If you have any questions concerning how we can meet your specific needs, please call Bryan Neskora at (713) 420-2655 or Bill Wickman at (423) 694-1677.

With over $10 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.