EXHIBIT 99.A

NEWS
For Immediate Release                                             [EL PASO LOGO]

EL PASO CORPORATION AND EL PASO PRODUCTION HOLDING COMPANY FILE 2003 FORM 10-KS

HOUSTON, TEXAS, SEPTEMBER 30, 2004--El Paso Corporation (NYSE: EP) announced
today that it has filed its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. El Paso's wholly owned subsidiary,
El Paso Production Holding Company, has also filed its Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2003. The complete filings can be accessed on the El Paso Web
site at www.elpaso.com in the Investors section. Detailed operating statistics
for each of El Paso's businesses will be available by the close of business on
October 1, 2004 in the Investors section of the company's Web site.

El Paso Corporation provides natural gas and related energy products in a safe,
efficient, 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 www.elpaso.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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This report 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 report, including, without
limitation, the ability to implement and achieve our objectives in the
long-range plan, including achieving our debt-reduction targets; the potential
impact of the restatement of financial results on our access to capital
(including borrowings under credit arrangements); changes in reserve estimates
based upon internal and third party reserve analyses; uncertainties and
potential consequences associated with the outcome of governmental
investigations, including, without limitation, those related to the reserve
revisions and natural gas hedge transactions; outcome of litigation, including
shareholder derivative and class actions related to reserve revisions and
restatements; consequences arising from the delay in filing of our periodic
reports including the exercise of remedies by the company's lenders under
certain financing arrangements and if such remedies were to be exercised, the
company's potential inability to identify and obtain alternate sources of
financing and the existence of cross-acceleration provisions in various
financing agreements; uncertainties associated with exploration and production
activities; actions by the credit rating agencies; the successful close of our
financing transactions; our ability to successfully exit the energy trading
business; our ability to close our announced asset sales on a timely basis;
changes in commodity prices for oil, natural gas, and power; inability to
realize anticipated synergies and cost savings associated with restructurings
and divestitures on a timely basis; 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; political and currency
risks associated with international operations of the company and its
affiliates; difficulty in integration of the operations of previously acquired
companies, 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.

CONTACTS
Investor and Public Relations
Bruce L. Connery, Vice President
Office:  (713) 420-5855
Fax:     (713) 420-4417

Media Relations
Kim Wallace, Manager
Office:  (713) 420-6330
Fax:     (713) 420-6341