For Immediate Release

April 10, 2008
Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

Mitsui Chemicals to Expand Production Capacity and Start Commercial Operation of Ethylene/α Olefin Oligomer (LUCANT™)

Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.("MCI") announces it has augmented production capacity of Ethylene/α Olefin Oligomer (LUCANT™) and started commercial production at its Iwakuni-Ohtake Works, where construction for the second plant has been completed. LUCANT™ is mainly used as a compounding agent for lubricant of automobiles, and contributes to improving fuel consumption efficiency and lengthening the life of lubricants. Within this, MCI takes a step forward to meet rising global demand as a manufacturer and seller of the product.

<Overview of Capacity Increase>
1. Product Ethylene/α Olefin Oligomer
2. Trademark LUCANT™
3. Site MCI Iwakuni-Ohtake Works
4. Production Capacity 11,000t/y ( Current capacity: 5,000t/y )
5. Start of Commercial Production February 1, 2008

LUCANT™ one of the company's unique strategic products, is transparent and viscous liquid, which MCI has originally developed and cultivated for the market mainly applied as a compounding agent for lubricants used in automobiles. The product improves fuel consumption efficiency by lowering viscosity of lubricants, which leads to a reduction of CO2 emissions, and lengthens the life-time of lubricants by improving their stability, which enables cut of wasted oil use by decreasing the frequency of lubricant changes. In recent years, regulations for the environment have grown stricter and stricter. Within this context, the market for the product has been showing significant growth, leading MCI to the decision to substantially increase production capacity as a supplier and aiming for securing stable production capacity and further expanding this business.