Houston Exploration to Present at IPAA Conference

HOUSTON, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Houston Exploration Company is scheduled to present at the Independent Petroleum Association of America Investment Symposium in San Francisco on Tuesday, September 28, 2004, at 9:15 a.m. Pacific time. William G. Hargett, chairman and chief executive officer, will provide an overview of the company's financial and operational results.

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 Rocky Mountains, the Arkoma Basin, and offshore in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Additional production is located in East Texas. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.houstonexploration.com/ .

Contact: The Houston Exploration Company Melissa Reynolds 713-830-6887 [e-mail]

The Houston Exploration Company