BASF Catalysts Expands Two Plants To Meet Growing Demand

ISELIN, NJ, May 15 , 2007 ─ BASF Catalysts is expanding the capacity of two production plants located in Savannah and Attapulgus, Georgia, to meet the growing demand of petroleum refiners for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts.

The world market for FCC catalysts is expected to grow at 2-4% annually over the next ten years. The planned capacity expansions will enable BASF Catalysts to grow with the market. Both expansions will be fully operational at the start of 2008.

BASF Catalysts has brought innovative cracking catalyst technologies to petroleum refiners around the world for over 50 years. The expansions will help the company continue to advance the state-of-the-art in FCC catalysts with its Distributed Matrix Structures (DMS) technology. DMS is a unique technology platform that allows BASF Catalysts to develop catalysts with a new, higher level of yield performance.

Catalysts made with the DMS technology feature a unique structure combining
optimized porosity with high activity. Petroleum feeds diffuse more effectively and pre-crack more efficiently on DMS catalysts than on traditional amorphous matrix FCC catalysts. This allows for high bottoms conversion with low coke, and higher yields of valued gasoline and other liquid products.

“Customers around the world are demanding greater amounts of FCC catalysts based on our proprietary DMS technology platform, in order to enhance their refinery
margins,” said Deon Carter, Business Director, Process Technologies at BASF Catalysts.
“By expanding and optimizing our Georgia plants, we can fulfill this growing volume demand quickly for the refining industry, while also minimizing our internal waste generation and reducing our chemicals consumption.”

BASF Catalysts refinery technologies include ultra-modern FCC catalysts that can help refiners increase yields of gasoline, diesel, and other fuels by up to 1.2 volume percent across the entire refinery, the equivalent of up to 63,000 additional gallons of fuel per day for an average size refinery.

BASF Catalysts also offers two distinct portfolio categories of FCC additives, which include:

• Performance-enhancing additives that enable refiners to improve yields from their operations;
• Environmental-compliance additives that can help refiners meet or exceed environmental regulations without sacrificing economics or refining operations.

BASF Catalysts, a division of BASF, is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics, adsorbents and other products.

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its
portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas. As a reliable partner to virtually all industries, BASF’s high-value products and intelligent system solutions help its customers to be more successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to meet the challenges of the future and open up additional market opportunities. It combines economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. BASF has over 95,000 employees and posted sales of €52.6 billion in 2006. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York (BF) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.