Exhibit 99.1

                               Howell Corporation

Press Release
For Immediate Release                        Contact:      John E. Brewster, Jr.
                                                           Vice President
                                                           (713) 658-4084


                    HOWELL INCREASES NET DAILY OIL PRODUCTION
                     BY 10% THROUGH PRODUCING PROPERTY TRADE

            - ALSO ACQUIRES ADDITIONAL ACREAGE IN WYOMING CORE AREA -

HOUSTON,  TEXAS,  February  28, 2001 - HOWELL  CORPORATION  (HWL:  NYSE;  HWLLP:
NASDAQ)  today  announced it has traded  producing  oil and gas  properties in a
tax-free,  like-kind  exchange.  Howell  assigned  all of its  operated  working
interest  in Main  Pass  Blocks  64 and 65 in  exchange  for a 26%  non-operated
working  interest  in the Salt  Creek  Field  Light Oil Unit  located in Natrona
County,  Wyoming.  Howell also paid $8 million as part of the  transaction.  The
effective date of the exchange is January 1, 2001.

Howell is currently  the  operator of the Salt Creek Field,  which is located in
the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Howell acquired its original interest in Salt
Creek in late 1997, and it is currently Howell's largest producing field. Howell
now owns a 98% working  interest  in the Salt Creek  Field  Light Oil Unit,  the
largest  producing  unit in the field.  The  Company  increased  its current net
production in the field by approximately 1,250 barrels of oil per day and by 320
Mcf of gas per day as a result of this trade.

Main Pass was the  Company's  only  offshore-operated  property.  Our  continued
ownership was  inconsistent  with the  Company's  current focus of acquiring and
exploiting  onshore  fields  with  long-lived  reserves.  This  trade  concluded
Howell's  operations  in the offshore  area of the Gulf of Mexico.  Howell's net
interest in Main Pass Blocks 64 and 65 was recently producing  approximately 500
barrels of oil per day and 250 Mcf of gas per day.

In addition, Howell entered into two separate transactions involving undeveloped
acreage in Wyoming.  In the first,  Howell  received 22,000 net acres in the Big
Horn Basin of Wyoming and a cash  payment of $160,000 in exchange for acreage in
the  Wind  River  Basin of  Wyoming.  The  second  transaction  involved  Howell
purchasing  approximately  50,000  acres in the Big Horn Basin of  Wyoming.  The
acreage in this  transaction  is subject to a 10 day right of first refusal by a
third party.

Howell's President and CEO, Richard K. Hebert,  commented,  "These  transactions
strengthen  our core  operating  area in Wyoming and  position us for  continued
growth. In addition,  the trade enables us to efficiently exit the offshore area
of the Gulf of Mexico while  increasing the Company's  incremental net daily oil
production by  approximately  750 barrels per day. The increased  volumes are in
our Salt Creek Field where we have been  successful over the last three years in
eliminating the historic  decline rate with minimal capital  investment.  We are
also pleased with the  opportunity to increase our net acreage  position by over
70,000  acres in Howell's  area of  operations.  This would more than double the
Company's undeveloped acreage position."

Howell  Corporation,  based in Houston,  Texas, is an independent energy company
engaged in the acquisition,  exploitation,  and exploration of producing oil and
gas properties.

This press release  includes  forward-looking  statements  within the meaning of
Section 27 A of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934.  Although  Howell believes
that its  expectations  are based upon  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 the timing and extent of changes in commodity  prices for oil and
gas, the need to develop and replace  reserves,  uninsured risks,  environmental
risks,   drilling  and  operating  risks,   risks  related  to  exploration  and
development,  the  availability of capital  resources,  uncertainties  about the
estimates of reserves,  competition,  government regulation,  and the ability of
the company to meet its stated business goals.

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