Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: KMP) today announced that the fully subscribed Sierrita Pipeline has begun service. The approximately 60-mile, 36-inch diameter pipeline provides approximately 200 million cubic feet per day of firm transportation capacity and extends from El Paso Natural Gas’ existing south mainlines near Tucson, Arizona, to the U.S.-Mexico border near Sasabe, Arizona. The Sierrita Pipeline interconnects via a new international border crossing with a new natural gas pipeline in Mexico. It will help Mexico meet its environmental goals of converting existing fuel-oil-fired power generation plants to efficient, clean burning natural gas and provide natural gas for future power plants. The project was built in partnership with MGI Enterprises US LLC, a wholly owned affiliate of Pemex Gas y Petroquímica Básica, a subsidiary of Petróleos Mexicanos, the Mexican state-owned oil and gas company, and MIT Pipeline Investment Americas, Inc., a subsidiary of Mitsui & CO., LTD.

“We are pleased to see the Sierrita Pipeline placed in service to provide customers in Mexico with supplies of clean, efficient natural gas,” said Natural Gas Pipelines West Region President Mark Kissel. “The project created temporary jobs and future property tax benefits to Arizona and provides a means for transporting abundant, cost efficient U.S. natural gas production to Mexico. The project also represents a highly successful, multi-national cooperative effort on the part of companies whose parent corporations are headquartered in the U.S., Mexico, and Japan.”

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE: KMP) is a leading pipeline transportation and energy storage company and one of the largest publicly traded pipeline limited partnerships in America. It owns an interest in or operates approximately 52,000 miles of pipelines and 180 terminals. The general partner of KMP is owned by Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI). Kinder Morgan is the largest midstream and the third largest energy company in North America with a combined enterprise value of approximately $120 billion. It owns an interest in or operates approximately 80,000 miles of pipelines and 180 terminals. Its pipelines transport natural gas, gasoline, crude oil, CO2 and other products, and its terminals store petroleum products and chemicals and handle such products as ethanol, coal, petroleum coke and steel. KMI owns the general partner interests of KMP and El Paso Pipeline Partners, L.P. (NYSE: EPB), along with limited partner interests in KMP, Kinder Morgan Management, LLC (NYSE: KMR) and EPB. For more information please visit www.kindermorgan.com.

This news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management, based on information currently available to them. Although Kinder Morgan believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that such assumptions will materialize. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements herein include those enumerated in Kinder Morgan’s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and except to the extent required by law, Kinder Morgan undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or other factors. Because of these uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.