NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System named "Best Production Technology" of 2012

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (UAE) - January 20, 2013: The winner of the 2012 World Oil Award for Best Production Technology is a breakthrough in subsea insulation developed by Dow Oil & Gas, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), in cooperation with multiple organizations, including Trelleborg Offshore, a leading provider of polymer and syntactic foam-based coating solutions for the offshore oil and gas industry. The breakthrough technology, known as the NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System, offers the widest end-to-end use-temperature range of any complete wet insulation system on the market.

The World Oil Awards were established 11 years ago to put a spotlight on leading innovators and accomplishments in the oil and gas industry. This year's awards paid tribute to "Innovations for the Future," and winners were named in 16 different categories. The NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System was nominated for Best Production Technology by Trelleborg Offshore, a key application partner in the development of the NEPTUNE™ C Insulation Coating, the advanced subsea flow assurance insulation suitable for custom coating of subsea architecture.

"We are thrilled that NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System has won this year's World Oil Award for Best Production Technology," said Alex Lane, Dow Oil & Gas Business Segment Leader for Oil & Gas Transmission. "We developed the NEPTUNE™ System in direct response to requests from offshore operators who seek subsea pipeline flow assurance under increasingly harsh conditions of temperature and pressure. Receiving this recognition is a rewarding confirmation that the technology we developed is a genuine breakthrough for oil and gas production worldwide. It is also recognition of the significant milestones that can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of Dow and industry respected applicators, such as Trelleborg."

With components designed for line pipe, field joint and subsea architecture, the complete NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System protects assets from well head to delivery point during installation and use at temperatures of -40ºC to 160ºC (-40°F to 320°F) and at depths of up to 13,123 feet / 4,000 meters. The simple, two-layer system for line pipe includes an underlay of NEPTUNE™ High Temperature Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE) for corrosion protection and an overlay of NEPTUNE™ Advanced Hybrid Polyether Thermoset Insulation for pipeline flow assurance. The FBE is based on proprietary Dow resin technology, and the hybrid polyether thermoset is a completely new insulation technology developed by Dow to impart robust flow assurance in the increasingly harsh conditions experienced during subsea oil production. The complete NEPTUNE™ System has passed a battery of rigorous qualification tests, including small- and production-scale trials employing extreme testing procedures to validate compressive strength, durability, and thermal performance.

"This Award recognizes Dow's ability to draw from our vast experience and R&D expertise to consistently provide our customers with cutting-edge, unique solutions" said Antoine Samaha, Regional Commercial Director - Oil & Gas, Dow Middle East & Africa. "In the Middle East as well, we are dedicated to fueling sustainable solutions for every segment of the oil & gas value chain. Winning such awards only serve to further motivate us in achieving our objectives and maximizing value for our customers."

In the Middle East, Dow is keen to leverage its competencies in contaminant removal, asset integrity, production enhancement, energy management and water treatment in order to develop design and customize breakthrough products. To do so the company will continue to mobilize its business units within the region such as Dow Oil & Gas and Dow Advanced Materials to offer a more complete solution set for the region's energy needs. Furthermore, the company has demonstrated its commitment to the region's industry by establishing a locally based technical sales-support service network.

For more information about NEPTUNE™ Advanced Subsea Flow Assurance Insulation System from Dow, please visit www.DowFlowAssurance.com/NEPTUNE. Additionally you can also go to http://oilandgas.dow.com/neptune/index.html.

About Dow in the Middle East
Dow has a longstanding relationship with the Middle East beginning with the establishment of manufacturing and commercial facilities in the United Arab Emirates more than 35 years ago. Since then, Dow has established a solid presence in the Middle East petrochemicals industry, partnering with leading regional companies to set up state-of-the-art petrochemical complexes across the region. For 17 years, Dow and Petrochemical Industries Company K.S.C. (PIC) of Kuwait have shared one successful milestone after another, partnering on six industry-leading joint ventures. Saudi Aramco and Dow have formed a joint venture. Sadara, to build, own and operate a world-scale integrated chemicals complex in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. From the entrepreneurship initiatives of LoYac in Kuwait to the new Dow Middle East and Africa R&D Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, Dow actively supports the social and economic aspirations of the communities where it operates. For more information about Dow in the Middle East, please visit: www.dowmiddleeast.com

About Dow Oil & Gas
Dow Oil & Gas is committed to maximizing value for our customers by offering innovative, customized solutions tailored to the ever-evolving needs of the oil and gas industry. Backed by the proven resources of The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, Dow Oil & Gas offers advanced chemical innovation, intimate industry knowledge and exceptional service. More information about Dow Oil & Gas and Neptune™ can be found at www.DowOilandGas.com.

About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. Neptune™ is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company. More information can be found at www.dow.com.

About Trelleborg Group
Trelleborg is a global industrial group whose leading positions are based on advanced polymer technology and in-depth applications know-how. Trelleborg develops high-performance solutions that seal, damp and protect in demanding industrial environments. The Trelleborg Group has annual sales of about SEK 22 billion (EUR 2.4 billion, USD 3.3 billion) with about 15,500 employees in over 40 countries. The Group comprises three business areas: Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, and Trelleborg Engineered Systems. In addition, Trelleborg owns 50 percent of TrelleborgVibracoustic, a global leader within antivibration solutions for light and heavy vehicles, with annual sales of SEK 13 billion (EUR 1.4 billion, USD 2.0 billion) and about 8 000 employees in over 17 countries. The Trelleborg share has been listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since 1964 and is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic List, Large Cap. www.trelleborg.com.

About Trelleborg Offshore
Using advanced polymer material technology, Trelleborg Offshore provides high integrity solutions for the harshest and most demanding offshore environments. As part of the Trelleborg Engineered Systems Business Area of Trelleborg Group, Trelleborg Offshore specializes in the development and production of polymer and syntactic foam based seismic, marine, buoyancy, cable protection and thermal insulation products, as well as rubber-based passive and active fire protection solutions for the offshore industry. Within its portfolio are some long established and respected brands including, CRP, OCP, Viking and Emerson & Cuming. Trelleborg Offshore has been providing innovative solutions to the industry for over 30 years and has the largest and most advanced syntactic foam manufacturing facility in the world. www.trelleborg.com/offshore.

© Press Release 2013