March 16, 2006 – Basell announced today the company will start licensing on a worldwide basis its Metocene PP technology, which is used in the production of polyolefins based on single-site catalyst systems.

“Metocene PP technology can be adapted to virtually any polypropylene process,” said Kaspar Evertz, Basell’s senior vice president of Licensing. “It is a highly versatile technology that extends the product range of conventional PP.”

Metocene PP license packages are customized to address the needs of individual licensees and can include intellectual property rights, process upgrades, technical and product information as well as customized single-site catalyst systems.

Evertz added, “Product advantages that Basell customers are seeing with Metocene PP technology include lower levels of extractables and xylene solubles, improved transparency and peroxide-free reactor grades. Higher processing speeds at reduced melt viscosities can also be achieved.”

In addition to Metocene PP technology, Basell also licenses a comprehensive portfolio of polypropylene and polyethylene processes:

• Spheripol – polypropylene technology for the production of homopolymer, random and heterophasic copolymers.
• Spherizone – latest generation polypropylene technology based on new multi-zone reactor technology.
• Spherilene – swing gas phase process for the production of LLDPE, MDPE and HDPE.
• Hostalen - low-pressure slurry process for the production of bi-modal HDPE.
• Lupotech T – high pressure tubular reactor process for the production of LDPE and EVA copolymers.

Basell also produces and commercialises advanced catalyst systems under the Avant trademark:

• Avant ZN - Ziegler-Natta catalysts for polypropylene
• Avant Z - Ziegler catalysts for polyethylene
• Avant C - Chromium catalysts for polyethylene
• Avant M - Metallocene catalysts for polypropylene

Basell is the world's largest producer of polypropylene and advanced polyolefin products, a leading supplier of polyethylene and catalysts, and a global leader in the development and licensing of polypropylene and polyethylene processes. Basell, together with its joint ventures, has manufacturing facilities around the world and sells products in more than 120 countries. Additional information about Basell is available at www.basell.com.

For more information contact Chantal Sohm, Basell Corporate Communications, at
+33 1 555 12 119 or chantal.sohm@basell.com