LOS ANGELES, May 15, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Ecuador's Minister of Energy formally declared that Occidental's (NYSE:OXY) contract for the operation of Block 15 had been terminated and the Government of Ecuador has the right under Ecuadorian law to seize the assets immediately. Despite the actions taken by the Government of Ecuador, Occidental remains committed to an amicable settlement of this dispute. Occidental's Block 15 operations represent approximately 7 percent of Occidental's first quarter worldwide production, 3 percent of its pro-forma proved consolidated reserves including the Vintage acquisition, and 2 percent of its total property plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization, at March 31, 2006.
Occidental is currently reviewing the contents of a 33-page document which it received from the Government of Ecuador. Occidental maintains that it has complied fully with all material obligations under its contract with the Government of Ecuador and is evaluating its legal options to defend its interests.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release that contain words such as "will," "expect" or "estimate," or otherwise relate to the future, are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results. Factors that could cause results to differ materially include, but are not limited to: exploration risks such as drilling of unsuccessful wells; global commodity pricing fluctuations and supply/demand considerations for oil, gas and chemicals; higher-than-expected costs; political risk; changes in tax rates; unrealized acquisition benefits or higher than expected integration costs; potential failure to achieve expected production from existing and future oil and gas development projects; and not successfully completing (or any material delay in) any expansion, capital expenditure, acquisition, or disposition. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this release. Unless legally required, Occidental does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. U.S. investors are urged to consider carefully the disclosure in our Form 10-K, available through the following toll-free telephone number, 1-888-OXYPETE (1-888-699-7383) or on the Internet at http://www.oxy.com. You also can obtain a copy from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.