Also posted today on El Paso's web site.
---------------------- Forwarded by Rebecca W Cantrell/HOU/ECT on 07/10/2001 
02:14 PM ---------------------------


"Tracey Bradley" <tbradley@bracepatt.com> on 07/10/2001 02:10:18 PM
To: <jlimone@aeglobalmarkets.com>, "Charles Shoneman" 
<cshoneman@bracepatt.com>, "Randall Rich" <rrich@bracepatt.com>, 
<rreilley@coral-energy.com>, <Rebecca.W.Cantrell@enron.com>
cc:  

Subject: El Paso Announces Binding Open Season for Additional Capacity on 
Line 2000


FYI

Tuesday July 10, 9:21 am Eastern Time

Press Release
SOURCE: El Paso Corporation

El Paso Announces Binding Open Season for Additional Capacity on Line 2000

HOUSTON, July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- El Paso Natural Gas Company, a subsidiary of 
El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EPG - news), announced today a binding open season 
for 320 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of pipeline capacity from the 
Keystone and Waha areas of the Permian Basin in West Texas to the California 
border near Ehrenberg, Arizona. The binding open season, which began July 5, 
2001 and closes on August 2, 2001, is in response to the interest expressed 
during El Paso's non-binding open season in March 2001 soliciting shippers 
for potential system expansions.

The expansion capacity will be made available by adding compression to El 
Paso's Line 2000 from McCamey, Texas to the California border near Ehrenberg, 
Arizona. The expansion capacity will be sold at El Paso's existing maximum 
California tariff rate, and the fuel charge is estimated to be 5 percent. The 
projected in-service date of the expansion facilities is mid-2003 subject to 
the receipt of all necessary regulatory, environmental, and right-of-way 
authorizations.

The receipt points on El Paso's system for this capacity will be the Waha and 
Keystone pools in the Permian Basin area of West Texas. The delivery points 
will be Southern California Gas Company (SoCal) and PG&E's proposed North 
Baja Pipeline, El Paso's bi-directional lateral (Line 1903), any future 
incremental capacity on the SoCal system from Ehrenberg, Arizona into the 
State of California, and any upstream points on El Paso's south mainline 
system where capacity exists.

``This system expansion will add incremental interstate capacity to 
California, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas to meet increasing natural 
gas demands including the demand for natural gas to generate electricity for 
the western United States,'' said Patricia A. Shelton, president of El Paso 
Natural Gas Company.

Interested parties can contact their transportation marketing representative 
or Mr. Jerry W. Strange at (719) 520-4687.

El Paso Corporation is committed to meeting energy needs throughout North 
America and the world with operations that span the energy value chain from 
wellhead to electron. The company is focused on speeding the development of 
new technologies, such as clean coal and liquefied natural gas, to address 
critical energy shortages across the globe. Visit El Paso at 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. 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.

SOURCE: El Paso Corporation