Houston Exploration to Present at Howard Weil Energy Conference

HOUSTON, April 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Houston Exploration Company is scheduled to present at the 33rd Annual Howard Weil Energy Conference in New Orleans, LA, on Wednesday, April 6, 2005, at 10:20 a.m. Central time. William G. Hargett, chairman, president and chief executive officer, will provide a brief overview of the company's operations.

The company will post the slides used during the presentation on the Investor Relations section of the Houston Exploration Web site at http://www.houstonexploration.com/ .

The Houston Exploration Company is an independent natural gas and crude oil producer engaged in the development, exploitation, exploration and acquisition of natural gas and crude oil properties. The company's operations are focused in South Texas, the Arkoma Basin, the Rocky Mountains and offshore in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Additional production is located in East Texas.

Contact: The Houston Exploration Company Melissa Reynolds 713-830-6887 mreynolds@houstonexp.com