AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JANUARY 9, 2002 REGISTRATION NO. 333- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 --------------------- FORM S-3 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 --------------------- EL PASO CORPORATION (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) DELAWARE (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or 76-0568816 organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) PEGGY A. HEEG, ESQ. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND EL PASO CORPORATION GENERAL COUNSEL EL PASO BUILDING EL PASO CORPORATION 1001 LOUISIANA STREET EL PASO BUILDING HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 1001 LOUISIANA STREET (713) 420-2600 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, (713) 420-2600 including (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone area code, of registrant's principal executive number, offices) including area code, of agent for service) --------------------- Copies to: G. MICHAEL O'LEARY KELLY J. JAMESON, ESQ. ANDREWS & KURTH EL PASO CORPORATION MAYOR, DAY, CALDWELL & KEETON L.L.P. EL PASO BUILDING 600 TRAVIS, SUITE 4200 1001 LOUISIANA STREET HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 (713) 220-4200 (713) 420-2017 --------------------- APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement, as determined in light of market conditions and other factors. If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. [ ] If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. [X] If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. [X] 333-59704 If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. [ ] If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434 under the Securities Act, please check the following box. [ ] CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PROPOSED MAXIMUM PROPOSED MAXIMUM TITLE OF EACH CLASS AMOUNT TO BE AGGREGATE OFFERING AGGREGATE OFFERING AMOUNT OF OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED REGISTERED PRICE PER UNIT PRICE REGISTRATION FEE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Debt Securities..................... $180,000,000 $100% $180,000,000 $42,030 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Footnotes on next page) THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON FILING WITH THE COMMISSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 462(b) UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE This Registration Statement is being filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, by El Paso Corporation solely to register additional senior debt securities. Pursuant to General Instruction IV, Registration of Additional Securities, of Form S-3, this Registration Statement hereby incorporates by reference the contents of El Paso Corporation's Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-59704). PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS ITEM 16. EXHIBITS All exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference in Registration Statement No. 333-59704 are incorporated by reference into, and shall be deemed part of, this registration statement, except for the following, which are filed herewith. EXHIBIT EXHIBIT DESCRIPTIONS ------- -------------------- 5.1 -- Opinion and Consent of Andrews & Kurth Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. 23.1 -- Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 23.2 -- Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP 23.3 -- Consent of Huddleston & Co., Inc. 23.4 -- Consent of Andrews & Kurth Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. (included as part of Exhibit 5.1) SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on January 8, 2002. EL PASO CORPORATION Registrant By /s/ H. BRENT AUSTIN ------------------------------------ H. Brent Austin Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates as indicated. SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- ** Chairman of the Board, January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- President, Chief Executive (William A. Wise) Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) /s/ H. BRENT AUSTIN Executive Vice President and January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- Chief Financial Officer (H. Brent Austin) (Principal Financial Officer) ** Senior Vice President and January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- Controller (Principal (Jeffrey I. Beason) Accounting Officer) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Byron Allumbaugh) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (John M. Bissell) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Juan Carlos Braniff) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (James F. Gibbons) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Anthony W. Hall Jr.) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Ronald L. Kuehn, Jr.) II-6 SIGNATURE TITLE DATE --------- ----- ---- ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (J. Carleton MacNeil Jr.) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Thomas R. McDade) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Malcolm Wallop) ** Director January 8, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- (Joe B. Wyatt) **By: /s/ H. BRENT AUSTIN ------------------------------- H. Brent Austin Attorney-in-Fact II-7 EXHIBIT INDEX EXHIBIT EXHIBIT DESCRIPTIONS ------- -------------------- 5.1 -- Opinion and Consent of Andrews & Kurth Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. 23.1 -- Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 23.2 -- Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP 23.3 -- Consent of Huddleston & Co., Inc. 23.4 -- Consent of Andrews & Kurth Mayor, Day, Caldwell & Keeton, L.L.P. (included as part of Exhibit 5.1)