HOUSTON, June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- El Paso Natural Gas Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP), announced today that it has received certificate approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its Line 1903 Project, an 88-mile, 502 million-cubic-foot-per- day pipeline extending from Ehrenberg, Arizona to Cadiz, California. Line 1903, which was acquired in March 2000, was previously used to transport crude oil and will be converted to a natural gas pipeline. The approximately $74-million project also includes the construction of a new six-mile pipeline that will connect the converted Line 1903 pipeline to El Paso's Mojave Pipeline Company facilities near Cadiz. The project is scheduled to be in service by late 2005. Construction and conversion will begin as soon as El Paso receives approval from California's State Land Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.

"Our Line 1903 project demonstrates our commitment to provide superior service to our customers," said James Cleary, president of El Paso's Western Pipeline Group. "In addition to providing additional access to abundant Rocky Mountain and San Juan Basin gas supplies, this project will increase the firm transportation capacity available to our customers in California and Arizona."

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 http://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 ability to implement and achieve our objectives in the long-range plan, including achieving our debt-reduction targets; our ability to obtain necessary governmental approvals for this project and our ability to successfully construct and operate such project; 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; 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
06/27/2005

CONTACT:
Investor and Public Relations:
Bruce L. Connery, Vice President, 1-713-420-5855
or
Media Relations:
Aaron Woods, Manager, 1-713-420-6828

Web site: http://www.elpaso.com

8263 06/27/2005 09:53 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com