Air Liquide and ConocoPhillips to Construct New Hydrogen Unit in San Francisco Bay Area

PARIS - Jan. 30, 2006: Hydrogen's increasing demand is driven by the need for refiners to expand production and comply with new environmental regulations being progressively introduced around the world.

The American subsidiary of Air Liquide, Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP, announces that it has executed a letter of intent with ConocoPhillips to build a 120 million standard cubic feet per day steam methane reformer (SMR). Under the terms of the letter of intent, Air Liquide has begun work on engineering and procurement for the new facility which it will build, own and operate. The unit will be located at ConocoPhillips' refinery in Rodeo, California, on the north-eastern shore of San Francisco bay. The new unit, scheduled to be completed by mid-2008, will supply the existing and future requirements of the Rodeo Refinery and will also provide the foundation to support future hydrogen opportunities that are anticipated in the San Francisco area. Execution of the supply agreement is expected within weeks.

Air Liquide Executive Vice President Pierre Dufour stated: "We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with ConocoPhillips to build a new large scale hydrogen unit at Rodeo, in the heart of San Francisco Bay Area. This hydrogen contract represents a significant milestone in the competitive hydrogen market and gives Air Liquide a solid position in the San Francisco Bay Area from which to capitalize on future growth opportunities."

Air Liquide Group offers industrial gas and energy solutions to numerous industries to improve their process efficiency and help them with their environmental responsibilities, which is in line with the company's commitment to sustainable development.

The Group operates 200 hydrogen production units around the world, of which 30 are large units (including 6 large units in the US). Its network of pipelines serves large customers in several industrial basins: Gulf of Mexico and the lower Mississippi River in the United States, Antwerp/Rotterdam, Rhein/Ruhr, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and China.

Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP is a subsidiary of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.

Present in more than 70 countries, Air Liquide is the world leader in industrial and medical gases and related services. The Group offers innovative solutions based on constantly enhanced technologies. These solutions, which are in line with Air Liquide's commitment to sustainable development, help to protect life and enable our customers to manufacture many indispensable everyday products. Founded in 1902, Air Liquide has nearly 36,000 employees. The Group has successfully developed a long-term relationship with its shareholders built on confidence and transparency and guided by the principles of corporate governance. Since the publication of its first consolidated financial statements in 1971, Air Liquide has posted strong and steady earnings growth. Sales in 2005 totaled 10,435 million euros, of which sales outside France accounted almost 80%. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and is a component of the CAC 40 and EuroStoxx 50 indices (ISIN code FR 0000120073).