HOUSTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) announced today the start of service from its recently completed Elba II expansion project, a significant expansion of its Elba Island liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal near Savannah, Georgia.

The approximately $157 million Elba II Expansion adds 3.3 billion cubic feet (Bcf) equivalent of storage capacity and 540 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of peak send-out capacity to the existing facility, increasing the terminal's total storage capacity to 7.3 Bcf and total peak send-out capacity to over 1.2 Bcf/d. The expansion also includes new docking facilities that can accommodate two LNG vessels at once in a newly constructed slip at Elba Island, effectively harboring LNG vessels during cargo unloading and providing more flexible passage for commercial shipping in the Port of Savannah.

All of the capacity at the Elba Island facility is contracted under long- term agreements, with the pre-expansion capacity contracted to BG LNG Services and the Elba II Expansion capacity contracted to Shell NA LNG LLC.

"The Elba II Expansion nearly doubles Elba's size. Construction on the project started in 2003, and it's being placed in service on time and on budget," said Jim Yardley, president of El Paso's Southern Pipeline Group. "And we've already begun the regulatory process on our Elba III Expansion that will once again double Elba's size with incremental service beginning in 2010. These terminal expansions, combined with our new Cypress and Elba Express pipeline takeaway projects -- to be in-service in 2007 and 2010 respectively -- provide access to large, diverse supplies of natural gas for all of Georgia and the Southeastern United States."

El Paso's total capital cost for the two Elba terminal expansions and new takeaway pipelines is expected to be nearly $1.3 billion.

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.

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, 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, 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
02/01/2006

CONTACT: investor and public relations, Bruce L. Connery, Vice President, +1-713-420-5855, or fax, +1-713-420-4417, or media relations, Bill Baerg, Manager, +1-713-420-2906, or fax, +1-713-420-4417, both of El Paso Corporation

9465 02/01/2006 16:05 EST http://www.prnewswire.com