Press Release

ENRON CORP. REPORTS RECURRING ANNUAL EARNINGS OF $2.01 PER DILUTED SHARE IN 1998 AND FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS OF $0.48

HOUSTON - Enron Corp. announced today a 16 percent increase in 1998 earnings per diluted share to $2.01 from $1.74 in 1997. Corresponding net income increased 36 percent to $698 million from $515 million during the year. The comparisons are before non-recurring items and last year’s gain of $0.21, or $61 million, related to the sale of a 7 percent interest in Enron Energy Services. The company also announced fourth quarter 1998 recurring earnings of $0.48 per diluted share, which compares to $0.34 in the 1997 period on a comparable basis to the full year results.

“Across Enron, 1998 was an excellent year,” said Kenneth L. Lay, Enron Corp. chairman and chief executive officer. “Our Wholesale Energy Operations and Services business led the company’s growth during the year, achieving record levels both in volumes of energy marketed and in earnings.

“In addition to positive developments in our established businesses, Enron Energy Services has advanced to a fully developed business with broad new capabilities to provide energy outsourcing products to business customers across the nation,” Lay said. “We have experienced a strong market reception and very successful contracting results, and we are very pleased about the prospects for this dynamic business.

“The operating success across Enron was reflected in an almost 40 percent shareholder return during the year, significantly above the very strong returns of the broader U.S. equity market,” Lay said.

Enron’s core businesses include Wholesale Energy Operations and Services, Transportation and Distribution, and Exploration and Production. The core businesses realized a 14 percent increase in earnings per diluted share to $2.25 in 1998 versus $1.98 in 1997.

Wholesale Energy Operations and Services: Enron’s Wholesale business has recently been categorized into two lines of business, better reflecting the products and services provided and how the business is managed. Enron provides reliable delivery of energy commodities at predictable prices (Commodity Sales and Services), manages and operates a large portfolio of energy assets, and offers efficient financing alternatives to customers (Energy Assets and Investments).

The Wholesale group increased income before interest, minority interests and taxes (IBIT) 48 percent in 1998 to $968 million from $654 million in 1997, including unallocated expenses.

Strong earnings in Commodity Sales and Services were reflected in a 65 percent increase in IBIT to $411 million for 1998, as the company continued to expand its worldwide energy franchises in both natural gas and electricity. During 1998, total deliveries of energy commodities increased by over 50 percent to more than 27 trillion British thermal units per day. The strong volume growth was led by the U. S. wholesale power marketing and European natural gas businesses. The volumes marketed included a more than doubling of power volumes to over 400 million megawatt hours and a 15 percent increase in natural gas volumes. Also during the year, the business experienced significant success in its longer term gas and power contracting activities.

Energy Assets and Investments reported increased IBIT to $709 million, paralleling Enron’s successful record in providing capital to energy-intensive customers and in growing its large asset portfolio. Enron is advancing new, large energy projects into late stages of development and construction, including over 3,500 megawatts of power projects and 1,180 miles of natural gas pipelines. This year’s earnings were favorably impacted by sales of interests in the Puerto Rico, Turkey and Italy power projects, partly offset by development costs. With these sales, Enron is able to capture value created during the development and construction process and establish optimum long-term ownership levels.

Transportation and Distribution: This segment includes the Gas Pipeline Group, which owns and operates Enron’s North American interstate natural gas pipelines, and Portland General, Enron’s electric utility in Oregon. The segment continues to provide stable earnings and important cash flow to Enron. In 1998, these businesses generated $637 million of IBIT compared with $478 million in 1997, during which Portland General results were included only after the merger with Enron on July 1, 1997.

The Gas Pipeline Group completed the large 700 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) expansion of Northern Border Pipeline Company to import Canadian gas supplies into the Chicago market area. Florida Gas Transmission also filed to construct a $237 million, 270 MMcf/d pipeline expansion into southern Florida.

Although not included in the results for the first half of 1997, full year comparative results of Portland General adjusted for the effects of the merger show steadily increased profitability, due to continued additions of new customers and efficient management of the company’s electricity assets.

Exploration and Production: Exploration and Production includes the operations of Enron Oil & Gas Company (EOG) and Enron’s hedging of its exposure to commodity prices related to its majority ownership of EOG. The Exploration and Production segment generated $128 million of IBIT compared with $183 million in 1997. These results reflect earnings associated with an 11 percent growth in worldwide oil and gas production, offset by increased costs and lower crude oil prices. EOG achieved record reserve additions in 1998 of 1.8 trillion cubic feet equivalent of natural gas. The results represent replacement of reserves of over 400 percent of annual production at an average finding cost of $0.42 per thousand cubic feet equivalent (Mcfe).

For its share of EOG’s production in 1999, Enron has fully locked in North America natural gas prices at over $2.30 per Mcfe (NYMEX) and has over 80 percent of all crude production hedged at more than $15.50 per barrel (NYMEX).

Enron Energy Services is a nationwide provider of energy outsource products to U. S. business customers.

In 1998, Enron Energy Services matured to an established business with a full complement of people, systems and skills to successfully market, contract and deliver energy commodities and services. In building these capabilities, Enron Energy Services incurred a loss before interest and taxes of $119 million in 1998 compared to a loss of $107 million in 1997, or $(0.24) per diluted share in each year.

During the year, Enron Energy Services significantly exceeded its stated contracting objectives and signed contracts representing $3.8 billion of customers’ future energy expenditures. Based on both the current backlog of contracts and contracting activity, Enron Energy Services expects to double the level of new contracts to be added in 1999. In addition, earnings for the business are expected to be positive in the fourth quarter of 1999.

Enron’s core businesses reported very strong recurring earnings in the fourth quarter of 1998 of $0.53 per diluted share, a 23 percent increase from $0.43 last year.

Wholesale Energy Operations and Services: The Wholesale group generated IBIT of $201 million in the fourth quarter of 1998 compared to $184 million last year, including unallocated expenses.

The Commodity Sales and Services business continues to significantly increase volumes of energy marketed and long-term contracting for both gas and power. During the fourth quarter, every major region expanded its business activity, resulting in a 27 percent increase in natural gas volumes and a 65 percent increase in electricity volumes compared to a year ago. Earnings in this business increased by 41 percent from last year to $107 million.

Energy Assets and Investments reported IBIT of $140 million in the 1998 fourth quarter, resulting primarily from sales of interests in power projects in Italy and Turkey, partially offset by a decline in the value of the investment portfolio.

Transportation and Distribution: Earnings in the Gas Pipeline Group of $84 million were comparable to last year’s results, as the business continued to generate steady earnings.

Portland General also reported IBIT in the fourth quarter of 1998 of $84 million. The increase over the 1997 quarter resulted primarily from reductions in operating expenses in the recent quarter and refunds in last year’s quarter.

Exploration and Production: During the fourth quarter of 1998, EOG increased total production almost 16 percent compared to last year. However, IBIT in the period decreased to $31 million due primarily to significantly lower crude oil prices and lower natural gas prices. A portion of the natural gas price decline was offset by the positive effect of Enron’s hedging practices.

During the fourth quarter of 1998, Enron Energy Services, as expected, reported a loss before interest, minority interest and taxes of $26 million, or $(0.05) per diluted share, compared to a loss of $43 million, or $(0.09) per diluted share, last year. The losses reflect activities associated with building this business. Of the new contracts executed during 1998, $1.5 billion, or approximately 40 percent, were completed in the last quarter reflecting an acceleration of contracting activity during 1998.

For the full year in 1998, Enron reported $2.02 of earnings per diluted share after non-recurring items, compared to $0.32 in 1997. In the fourth quarter of 1998, Enron reported $0.49 of earnings per diluted share after non-recurring items versus $0.53 in the 1997 period.

Enron’s 1997 results included a $1.57 per diluted share charge associated with the successful renegotiation of the J-Block gas contract and a $0.25 charge for depressed margins on committed production from its MTBE plant. Also in 1997, Enron realized a $0.22 per diluted share gain on the sale of its liquids assets.

During the fourth quarter of 1998, Enron delivered shares of EOG common stock to repay mandatorily exchangeable debt, as previously planned. Due to increases in EOG’s share value during Enron’s ownership, Enron recognized a gain on this transaction of $0.13 per diluted share. In addition, Enron recognized a $0.12 per diluted share charge to reflect depressed margins on committed MTBE plant production.

Please see attached tables for additional financial information.

This press release includes forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although Enron believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its goals will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward looking statements herein include political developments in foreign countries, the ability to penetrate new retail natural gas and electricity markets in the United States and Europe, the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices for crude oil, natural gas, electricity and interest rates, the extent of EOG's success in acquiring oil and gas properties and in discovering, developing, producing and marketing reserves, the timing and success of Enron's efforts to develop international power, pipeline and other infrastructure projects and conditions of the capital markets and equity markets during the periods covered by the forward looking statements.

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Please see attached tables for additional financial information.

For additional information please contact:

Mark Palmer

(713) 853-4738