Stolt-Nielsen Enters Asian Bitumen Tanker Market

Stolt-Nielsen S.A. (SNSA) (Oslo Børs: SNI), announced today that it has signed an agreement with Xinshun Shipyard in China for the purchase of up to six 5,900 deadweight ton (dwt) bitumen tanker newbuildings due for delivery from February 2010. Under the terms of the agreement, SNSA has placed firm orders for two ships and holds options to purchase a further four ships. It is intended that a new division of SNSA will be established in Asia-Pacific that will provide logistical services for the distribution of bitumen.

Mr. Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of SNSA, said, "This investment in new, superior performance bitumen tankers represents our entry into an attractive sector, in a region where SNSA has long been one of the leaders in the chemical products transportation market. We are very pleased to have secured these high quality newbuildings from the Xinshun Shipyard, which will allow us to meet the demanding intra and inter-regional transportation needs of our oil refiner and industrial customers."