EXHIBIT 99.1


                                  NEWS RELEASE

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

                  Pioneer Awarded Interest in Deepwater Nigeria

Dallas,  Texas,  April 5, 2005 -- Pioneer Natural Resources  Company  (NYSE:PXD)
announced today that a subsidiary of the Company has joined Oranto Petroleum and
Orandi  Petroleum  in an existing  production  sharing  contract on Block 320 in
deepwater  Nigeria  gaining   exploration  rights  from  the  Nigerian  National
Petroleum Corporation.

The  442,000  acre  (1,790  square km) block is located  about 90 miles (150 km)
southeast of Lagos in water depths ranging between 6,900 to 8,900 feet (2,100 to
2,700 m). Pioneer's subsidiary is the technical operator of the block with a 51%
working  interest.  Oranto  Petroleum  and Orandi  Petroleum  Limited,  Nigerian
corporations, hold 32% and 17%, respectively.

Under terms of an existing  Production  Sharing Contract,  Pioneer and the other
participants will carry out a work program that includes  acquiring a minimum of
1,790  square  kilometers  of  3-D  seismic  data  and  drilling  at  least  one
exploration well by February of 2007.

Scott Sheffield,  Pioneer's Chairman and CEO stated, "We've targeted West Africa
as an area of focus for our exploration  program.  These  exploration  rights on
Block 320 offer us a unique  opportunity to participate in the upside  potential
of deepwater  Nigeria." Chris  Cheatwood,  Executive Vice President of Worldwide
Exploration, added, "Existing 2-D seismic on the block indicates the presence of
large  channel  systems  similar to those of the large nearby  fields,  Erha and
Bosi. By acquiring  new 3-D seismic data, we should be able to more  confidently
quantify the reserve potential and risk prior to drilling the first well."

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.