Petroplus´ Acquisition of the Petit Couronne and Reichstett Vendenheim Refineries Approved by European Commission

Petroplus Holdings AG (SWX:PPHN) announced today that its intended
acquisition of the Petit Couronne and Reichstett Vendenheim
refineries, located in France, from Shell International Petroleum
Company Limited has received the European Commission´s approval. The
transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter of 2008.

Petroplus Holdings AG is the largest independent refiner and
wholesaler of petroleum products in Europe. Petroplus focuses on
refining and currently owns and operates five refineries across
Europe: the Coryton refinery on the Thames Estuary in the United
Kingdom, the Ingolstadt refinery in Ingolstadt, Germany, the Belgium
Refining Company refinery in Antwerp, Belgium, the Cressier refinery
in the canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, and the Teesside refinery in
Teesside, United Kingdom. The refineries have a combined throughput
capacity of approximately 625,000 bpd. Petroplus has signed a letter
of intent to acquire the Petit Couronne and Reichstett refineries,
located in France, from Shell International Petroleum Company Limited.
The refineries have a total nameplate crude capacity of 239,000
barrels per day.