EXHIBIT 99.1

                                  NEWS RELEASE

                                                               Company Contacts:
                                       Investors: Frank Hopkins or Chris Paulsen
                                      Media and Public Affairs:   Susan Spratlen
                                                                  (972) 444-9001


                         Pioneer is Apparent High Bidder
                           on 13 Gulf of Mexico Blocks

Dallas,  Texas,  March 17, 2005 - Pioneer Natural Resources Company  ("Pioneer")
(NYSE:PXD)  today  provided  a summary  of their  results  in OCS Lease Sale 194
covering  tracts  offered  in the  Gulf of  Mexico  by the  Minerals  Management
Service.  Pioneer  was  the  apparent  high  bidder  on 13  blocks,  all  in the
deepwater.  The  Company's  net  investment  on the  apparent  high bids will be
approximately $7.5 million.

Pioneer  focused  its  bids on  acreage  covering  prospects  and  leads  in the
Mississippi  Canyon area.  Pioneer is very active in this area,  with production
from  the  Canyon  Express  system  and the  Devils  Tower  facility  as well as
participation  in the Thunder Hawk appraisal  well which is currently  drilling.
Five of the blocks on which apparent high bids were made are in the Thunder Hawk
area.

Chris Cheatwood,  Executive Vice President, Worldwide Exploration commented, "We
are extremely pleased with the leases Pioneer will acquire from this lease sale.
These blocks are located in our core areas of interest.  Pioneer remains focused
on exploration  in the deepwater  Gulf of Mexico,  an area where the Company has
added significant value over the years."

Pioneer is a large  independent oil and gas  exploration and production  company
with  operations in the United States,  Canada,  Argentina,  Equatorial  Guinea,
South  Africa  and  Tunisia.  Pioneer's  headquarters  are in  Dallas.  For more
information, visit Pioneer's website at www.pioneernrc.com.

Except for historical  information contained herein, the statements in this News
Release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor
Provisions of the Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-
looking statements and the business prospects of Pioneer are subject to a number
of risks and  uncertainties  that may cause  Pioneer's  actual results in future
periods to differ materially from the  forward-looking  statements.  These risks
and uncertainties include, among other things, volatility of oil and gas prices,
product  supply  and  demand,  competition,  government  regulation  or  action,
international  operations  and associated  international  political and economic
instability,  litigation,  the costs and  results of  drilling  and  operations,
Pioneer's ability to replace reserves, implement its business plans, or complete
its  development  projects  as  scheduled,   access  to  and  cost  of  capital,
uncertainties   about   estimates  of  reserves,   quality  of  technical  data,
environmental and weather risks, acts of war or terrorism. These and other risks
are  described  in Pioneer's  10-K and 10-Q  Reports and other  filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.