HOUSTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Lyondell Chemical Company (NYSE: LYO) announced today that it expects fourth quarter results to be a loss of about $0.40 cents per share, compared to the analysts' consensus estimate of a loss of $0.23 cents per share reported by First Call Corp.

The Company believes that current Wall Street estimates do not fully reflect the unfavorable impacts of an unprecedented increase in natural gas prices, particularly on utility costs at Lyondell and its joint ventures, Equistar Chemicals, LP and LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP, and the continued weakening of the US economy.

Lyondell plans to release fourth quarter and full-year 2000 results on January 29, 2001. The Company also plans to conduct an earnings teleconference at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on January 29. Further information about the teleconference is available on Lyondell's web site at www.lyondell.com.

Lyondell Chemical Company (www.lyondell.com), with headquarters in Houston, Texas, is the world's largest producer of propylene oxide (PO); the world's number two supplier of TDI (toluene diisocyanate); a leading producer of propylene glycol; a leading producer of other PO derivatives such as BDO (butanediol) and PGE (propylene glycol ether); and a producer of styrene monomer and MTBE as co-products of PO production. Through its 41% interest in Equistar Chemicals, LP, Lyondell also is one of the largest producers of ethylene, propylene and polyethylene in North America and a leading producer of polypropylene, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, high value-added specialty polymers and polymeric powder. Through its 58.75% interest in LYONDELL-CITGO Refining LP, Lyondell is one of the largest refiners in the United States, processing extra heavy Venezuelan crude oil to produce gasoline, low sulfur diesel and jet fuel.

The statements in this release relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, future global economic conditions, industry production capacity and operating rates, the supply/demand balance for the Company's products, competitive products and pricing pressures, further increases in raw material costs, changes in governmental regulations and other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Securities and Exchange Commission filings of Lyondell.
SOURCE Lyondell Chemical Company
Web site: http: //www.lyondell.com
Photo: NewsCom: http: //www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000921/LYOLOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk, 888-776-6555 or 201-369-3467
CONTACT: media, Marvin Brown, 713-309-2643, or investors, Sami Ahmad, 713-309-7141, both of Lyondell Chemical Company
CAPTION: LYOLOGO LYONDELL LOGO Lyondell Logo. (PRNewsFoto)[PM] HOUSTON, TX USA 09/21/2000