Katsuya Asazuma of JE, Robert H. Bullard, Managing Director of ART, Rafid Al Rifai, Chairman of KCC  on the occasion of signing the agreement between JE - ART - KCC,

ADVANCED REFINING TECHNOLOGIES AND KUWAIT CATALYST COMPANY BROADEN HYDROPROCESSING CATALYST ALLIANCE

Columbia, Maryland, November 22, 2005 - Advanced Refining Technologies  LLC (ART) and Kuwait Catalyst Company KSC (KCC) have announced the signing of agreements for KCC to manufacture ART residuum (resid) hydroprocessing catalysts for the petroleum refining industry in the Arabian Gulf region, including an alliance with Japan Energy Corporation (JE) giving KCC rights to R&D and technical support for both JE's and ART's HOP(tm) hydroprocessing catalyst technology.

KCC, which manufactures a full range of hydroprocessing catalysts in its state-of-the-art catalyst manufacturing facilities in Kuwait, is dedicated to providing complete catalytic solutions to the petroleum refining industry in Kuwait and throughout the region.  ART, a global developer and supplier of hydroprocessing catalysts, is a joint venture of Chevron Products Co., a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., and the Davison Chemicals business unit of W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA).  JE, one of Japan's leading suppliers of fuel and gas, aims to ensure a stable and efficient supply of energy for the growth of the industry and society while taking the initiative in protecting the global environment.

"This agreement is another step in the broadening alliance between KCC and ART," said Robert H. Bullard, Managing Director of ART.  "Both ART and KCC are dedicated to providing world-class hydroprocessing catalysts to refiners in the Arabian Gulf region, and we will support these products with the joint efforts of Chevron and Grace research and development and technical service. We continue to work together towards making the complete line of ART catalysts available to KCC for this critical customer base." 

Rafid Al Rifai, Chairman of KCC, stated, "Our pioneer catalyst manufacturing plant is one of the most modern and sophisticated production facilities in the world. We see this joint agreement as a major step towards keeping pace with the rapid development of catalyst industry and improvement in catalyst technology. The JE-KCC-ART tri-party association brings in the latest technology, enhances our product range and widens the market territory for KCC."

            "We are very glad to see that such a foremost player in the catalyst fields as ART has joined in the KCC business with us," said Kenji Arakawa, Director and Senior Executive Officer of JE. "By obtaining strong support from ART as well as an access to its rich technological resources, KCC will soon become a prominent catalyst supplier in the region." 

HOP(tm) is a trademark of Japan Energy Corporation.