Basell to acquire Lyondell Chemical Company

07-20-2007: Basell announced that they have signed a definitive agreement pursuant to which Basell will acquire Lyondell's outstanding common shares for $48 per common share in an all cash transaction with a total enterprise value of approximately $19 billion, including the assumption of debt.

The purchase price per share represents a 45% premium to Lyondell's closing share price on May 10, 2007, the day prior to the disclosure by Access Industries, the industrial group that owns Basell, of its potential interest in Lyondell, and a 20% premium to Lyondell's closing share price on July 16, 2007. The transaction was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of Basell and Lyondell.

The transaction will create one of the sector's largest companies. Lyondell's three business segments -- ethylene, co-products and derivatives; propylene oxide and related products; and refining -- will complement and significantly strengthen Basell's polyolefins business. Basell and Lyondell together would have had combined 2006 revenues of approximately $34 billion and 15,000 employees around the world.