Exhibit 99.a

04-08
Investor Relations                  Media Relations
Southern Union Company              Southern Union Company
John F. Walsh                       Jennifer K. Cawley
Director of Investor Relations      Vice President of Corporate Communications
570-829-8662                        570-829-8839


                    SOUTHERN UNION JOINT VENTURE ENTERS INTO
              PURCHASE AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE ENRON PIPELINE ASSETS;
               U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT APPROVES BID PROCEDURES ORDER

         WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (BUSINESS WIRE) - June 24, 2004 - Southern Union
Company ("Southern Union") (NYSE:SUG) announced today that CCE Holdings, LLC
("CCE"), a joint venture of Southern Union and its equity partner, GE Commercial
Finance Energy Financial Services, has entered into a Purchase Agreement (the
"Agreement") to acquire for cash 100% of the equity interests of CrossCountry
Energy, LLC ("CrossCountry") from Enron Corp. and its affiliates ("Enron") for a
total transaction value of $2.35 billion, including certain consolidated debt of
approximately $461 million. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District
of New York (the "Court") has issued an Order establishing CCE's Agreement as
the "Stalking Horse" bid, which remains subject to Court approval, superseding
the previously-announced acquisition agreement between CrossCountry and another
party. Affiliates of JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch have provided to Southern Union
and CCE financing commitments for the transaction.
         Thomas F. Karam, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern
Union, stated, "This acquisition will continue our growth in the regulated
natural gas transmission business and will make Southern Union one of the five
largest operators of interstate pipelines in North America. The CrossCountry
pipelines are well-run, high-quality assets that fit nicely into our strategic
long-term plans. We believe that Southern Union will continue to have one of the
highest growth rates in our industry."
         Enron filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
in 2001. Although CrossCountry and the entities in which it holds interests were
not part of Enron's bankruptcy filing, the proposed transaction will
nevertheless be subject to a Court-approved auction scheduled for early
September. Under this process, other potential acquirers will be afforded the
opportunity to submit higher and/or better offers for CrossCountry. The U.S.
Bankruptcy Court also established procedures today that will govern this
auction.
         The acquisition is subject to approval by the Federal Trade Commission
under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvement Act and certain state
regulatory bodies, in addition to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Closing is anticipated no later than mid-December 2004.
         CrossCountry holds interests in and operates Transwestern Pipeline
Company ("Transwestern"), Citrus Corp. ("Citrus") and Northern Plains Natural
Gas Company ("Northern Plains"). The pipeline system owned or operated by
CrossCountry is comprised of approximately 9,900 miles of pipeline and
approximately 8.5 Bcf/d of natural gas capacity.
         Transwestern owns and operates an approximately 2,600-mile pipeline
that transports natural gas from the San Juan, Anadarko and Permian Basins to
markets in the Mid-Continent, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. Its
bi-directional flow capabilities provide flexibility to adapt rapidly to
regional demand. Its customers include local distribution companies, producers,
marketers, electric power generators and industrial end-users.
         Citrus, a joint venture held 50% by CrossCountry and 50% by Southern
Natural, an affiliate of El Paso Corporation, owns Florida Gas Transmission
("FGT") - an approximately 5,000-mile natural gas pipeline extending from south
Texas to south Florida with mainline capacity of 2.1 Bcf/day. FGT has access to
diverse natural gas supplies from the Gulf of Mexico, Texas and Louisiana. With
over 240 delivery points and delivery connections to more than 50 natural gas
fired electric generation plants, FGT serves the rapidly growing Florida
peninsula. Its customers include electric utilities, independent power
producers, co-generation facilities, municipal generators and local distribution
companies.
         Northern Plains is one of the general partners of Northern Border
Partners, LP. Northern Borders Partners holds ownership interests in Northern
Border Pipeline Company, Midwestern Gas Transmission Company, Viking Gas
Transmission Company and Guardian Pipeline, LLC.
         J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. is serving as financial advisor to Southern
Union in connection with this transaction.

About Southern Union Company
         Southern Union Company, headquartered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is
engaged primarily in the transportation and distribution of natural gas. Through
its Panhandle Energy subsidiary, the Company owns and operates Panhandle Eastern
Pipe Line Company, Trunkline Gas Company, Sea Robin Pipeline Company, Trunkline
LNG Company and Southwest Gas Storage Company. Collectively, the pipeline assets
operate more than 10,000 miles of interstate pipelines that transport natural
gas from the Gulf of Mexico, South Texas and the Panhandle regions of Texas and
Oklahoma to major U.S. markets in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Trunkline
LNG, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is the nation's largest liquefied
natural gas import terminal. Through its local distribution companies, Missouri
Gas Energy, PG Energy and New England Gas Company, Southern Union also serves
nearly one million natural gas end-user customers in Missouri, Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts and Rhode Island. For more information, visit
www.southernunionco.com.

Forward-Looking Information
         This release and other reports and statements issued or made from time
to time contain certain "forward-looking statements" concerning projected future
financial performance, expected plans or future operations. Southern Union
cautions that actual results and developments may differ materially from such
projections or expectations.
         Investors should be aware of important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the forward-looking projections or
expectations. These factors include, but are not limited to: cost of gas; gas
sales volumes; gas throughput volumes and available sources of natural gas;
discounting of transportation rates due to competition; customer growth;
abnormal weather conditions in Southern Union's service territories; impact of
relations with labor unions of bargaining-unit employees; the receipt of timely
and adequate rate relief and the impact of future rate cases or regulatory
rulings; the outcome of pending and future litigation; the speed and degree to
which competition is introduced to Southern Union's gas distribution business;
new legislation and government regulations and proceedings affecting or
involving Southern Union; unanticipated environmental liabilities; ability to
comply with or to challenge successfully existing or new environmental
regulations; changes in business strategy and the success of new business
ventures, including the risks that the business acquired and any other
businesses or investments that Southern Union has acquired or may acquire may
not be successfully integrated with the business of Southern Union; exposure to
customer concentration with a significant portion of revenues realized from a
relatively small number of customers and any credit risks associated with the
financial position of those customers; factors affecting operations such as
maintenance or repairs, environmental incidents or gas pipeline system
constraints; Southern Union's, or any of its subsidiaries, debt securities
ratings; the economic climate and growth in the energy industry and service
territories and competitive conditions of energy markets in general;
inflationary trends; changes in gas or other energy market commodity prices and
interest rates; the current market conditions causing more customer contracts to
be of shorter duration, which may increase revenue volatility; the possibility
of war or terrorist attacks; the nature and impact of any extraordinary
transactions such as any acquisition or divestiture of a business unit or any
assets.

                                      #####