EXHIBIT 99.1

                                  NEWS RELEASE

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

                Pioneer Announces First Quarter Share Repurchases

Dallas,  Texas,  April 5, 2005 -- Pioneer Natural Resources  Company  (NYSE:PXD)
announced  today that it  repurchased  approximately  3.74 million shares of its
common stock  outstanding at a total cost of  approximately  $152 million during
the quarter  ended March 31,  2005.  The shares  were  repurchased  under a $300
million program approved by the board of directors in January.

"We were aggressive in buying shares during the first quarter as the stock price
allowed us to buy our own proved  reserves  at well below the  industry  average
finding and  acquisition  cost and below our  assessment  of Pioneer's net asset
value.  We see this as a very  low-risk  strategy  that offers a great return on
investment and a direct means to return capital to  shareholders,"  stated Scott
Sheffield, Pioneer's Chairman and CEO.

Pioneer is a large  independent oil and gas  exploration and production  company
with operations in the United States, Argentina,  Canada, South Africa, Tunisia,
Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.  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.