Albemarle to Raise Prices of Industrial Bromides

BATON ROUGE, La. (Map) - BATON ROUGE, La., July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading specialty chemicals maker Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) will increase the worldwide prices ex works (EXW) of its full-container and bulk industrial bromides, effective August 1, 2008, or as contracts allow. Product prices will increase as follows (all amounts in $US):

    -- WELLBROM(R) Calcium Bromide Fluids by $275/metric ton (MT)
    -- 48% Hydrobromic Acid (HBr) by $200/MT
    -- 60-62% Hydrobromic Acid (HBr) by $275/MT
    -- Dibromomethane (DBM) by $1,000/MT
    -- Bromochloromethane (BCM) by $1,000/MT

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Because of their high density, WELLBROM calcium bromide fluids are used extensively as completion, work-over, drill-in and packer fluids in oilfield applications. Hydrobromic acid is used in a variety of applications including in the manufacture of precursors to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and inorganic bromides used for photography, water treatment and oilfield applications. Dibromomethane and Bromochloromethane are used in the manufacture of crop chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water treatment chemicals, insect repellents, and other specialty applications.

Albemarle's industrial bromides are part of the company's performance chemicals division, in the Fine Chemicals business segment.

Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical processing; transportation and industrial products; pharmaceuticals; agricultural products; and construction and packaging materials. The Company operates in three business segments-Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine Chemicals-and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Learn more about Albemarle at http://www.albemarle.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Portions of this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although Albemarle Corporation believes its expectations reflected in the release are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations; there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, without limitation, the inability to pass through increases in costs and expenses for raw materials and energy; competition from other manufacturers; changes in demand for our products; the gain or loss of significant customers; fluctuations in foreign currencies and increased government regulation of our operations or our products. Additional factors that could cause Albemarle's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under "Risk Factors" in item 1A of our Annual Report for the period ended December 31, 2007.