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For Immediate Release To:                               For Information Contact:
Analysts, Financial Community, Media                    Al Petrie (504) 799-1953
                                                             alpetrie@eplweb.com

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             EPL Announces Two Additional Exploratory Successes and
           Updates Production Guidance for the Second Quarter of 2003

New Orleans, Louisiana, July 2, 2003...Energy Partners, Ltd. ("EPL") (NYSE:EPL)
announced today that it has successfully drilled two additional exploratory
wells in the Gulf of Mexico, the B-3 well at East Cameron 280 and the EPL State
Lease 1008 #B-59 well referred to as the Glacier Prospect in the East Bay Field.
The Company also provided an update on its production guidance for the second
quarter of 2003.

Drilling Results

At East Cameron 280, the B-3 well, located approximately 85 miles off the
Louisiana coast in 167 feet of water, was drilled to a true vertical depth (TVD)
of 6,130 feet (7,877 feet measured depth). Hydrocarbons were encountered in one
sand interval with a total of 23 net feet of apparent natural gas pay. The well
was drilled from an existing producing platform and has been completed. It will
share production facilities with EPL's currently producing East Cameron 263 B-1
and B-2 wells. EPL is the operator of the well and owns a 50% working interest.
Houston Exploration Company (NYSE:THX) owns the remaining 50% working interest.
Initial production is expected in this year's third quarter.

In the East Bay Field, EPL successfully drilled the EPL State Lease 1008 #B-59
well at South Pass 24. Located in Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the
Mississippi River in approximately 10 feet of water, the well was drilled as a
directional hole to a total depth of 11,259 feet TVD (13,112 feet measured
depth). The well encountered a total of 42 feet of apparent net oil and gas pay
in four sand intervals. Two deeper objectives were determined to be
non-commercial. Therefore, the lower portion of the wellbore is being abandoned.
EPL's share of the cost associated with the lower portion of the well totaled
approximately $0.5 million. EPL is the operator of the well and owns a 50%
working interest. The William G. Helis Company, LLC, a privately-owned
independent exploration and production company based in New Orleans owns the
remaining 50% working interest. The well will be produced from existing EPL
infrastructure in the vicinity. Initial production is expected by the end of
July 2003.

Guidance Update

The Company indicated that its oil and natural gas production had reached a
record high during the last week of June, averaging approximately 22,500 barrels
of oil equivalent per day. For the second quarter of 2003, the Company currently
expects to report average oil production of approximately 7,500 barrels of oil
per day and average natural gas production of approximately 73 million cubic
feet of natural gas per day. This is below second quarter production guidance
previously provided by the Company of between 21,000 and 21,500 Boe per day. The
primary reasons for the shortfall in second quarter





production were recent unexpected downtime for repairs to a non-operated host
platform for one offshore field, a lower contribution from natural gas liquids
volumes and lower than expected production from one recently completed well. The
Company said that it still expected to achieve full year 2003 production in line
with its prior estimate of between 21,000 to 21,500 Boe per day.

Founded in 1998, EPL is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and
production company based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Company's operations are
focused in the shallow to moderate depth waters of the Gulf of Mexico Shelf.



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Any statements made in this news release, other than those of historical fact,
about an action, event or development, which the Company hopes, believes or
anticipates may or will occur in future, are "forward-looking statements" under
U. S. securities laws. Such statements are subject to various assumptions, risks
and uncertainties, which are specifically described in our Annual Report on Form
10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance or an assurance that the Company's current assumptions and
projections are valid. Actual results may differ materially from those
projected.
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