Pechiney Completes Purchase of Century's Fabrication Businesses.

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 1999--

Pechiney, Century Aluminum Company and Century Aluminum of West Virginia, Inc. (CAWV) have completed the transaction for Pechiney to purchase Century's two aluminum fabrication businesses.

Completion of the acquisition follows the signing of a definitive agreement on July 26 and the obtaining of standard governmental and regulatory approvals.

The businesses, with revenues of $562 million in 1998, consist of: -0-

--   The Rolled Products unit of CAWV at Ravenswood, West Virginia
     that has capacity to produce up to 600 million pounds (270,000
     metric tons) of rolled aluminum products a year on some of the
     largest rolling equipment in the aluminum industry. The
     Ravenswood facility is a leading North American supplier of
     premium sheet and plate products for the aerospace and
     transportation markets. It is also a major North American
     producer of brazing sheet used to manufacture radiators for
     passenger cars and trucks.

--   Century's Cast Plate unit at Vernon, California that has capacity
     to produce 15 million pounds (7,000 metric tons) a year of cast
     aluminum plate in the broadest range of sizes in the world. The
     unit is the world's second largest producer of these products.
     Cast plate is used principally in the machinery and equipment
     market.

PECHINEY 7, place du Chancelier Adenauer 75218 Paris Cedex 16

CENTURY 2511 Garden Road Suite 200 Building A Monterey, CA 93940