Air Liquide Adds New Air Separation Plant to Gulf Coast Pipeline Network.

PARIS -- Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP announces plans for a new world-scale air separation plant near Houston, Texas. Scheduled to commence operations in mid 2007, the new air separation plant will produce gaseous oxygen and nitrogen and associated liquid products. It will be connected to Air Liquide's Gulf Coast pipeline network to supply the increasing needs of existing clients as well as the needs of new clients, particularly in the refining industry. Air Liquide's pipeline network is the most extensive industrial gas network in the United States with 1,800 miles of pipeline delivering oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to customers from Corpus Christi, Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana.

"We work very closely with our petrochemical and refining customers along the Gulf Coast to meet their manufacturing needs and we are committed to supporting their expanding requirements," stated Woody Garmon, President of Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP., adding, "The new plant will employ state of the art technology developed and commercialized by Air Liquide Group's ongoing R&D and Engineering Development efforts."

Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP is the subsidiary of American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. that offers gas and energy solutions to the refining, natural gas, chemicals and metals industries to improve their process efficiencies and help them attain their environmental goals.

Air Liquide Group operates cryogenic distillation air separation plants around the world that separate air into oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other rare gases and do so without any combustion processes. Environmentally friendly, these plants do not release carbon dioxide, sulfur or nitrous oxide, and rely almost solely on electric power.

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 2004 totaled 9,376 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).