News Releases | Acquisition of Shares in Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd.

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News Releases : 2010

Acquisition of Shares in Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd.

2010.02.03

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui") announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. ("MCI"), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation ("SMBC"), Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. ("Mizuho") and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. ("BTMU") to purchase 12.85% shares of the total issued shares of Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd. ("MOECO") for approximately 32 billion yen (approximately 356 million USD). With this acquisition, Mitsui's voting interest in MOECO will increase from 54.61% to 67.46%.

Currently, MOECO is actively engaged in several oil and natural gas exploration, development and production projects in Thailand and its neighboring Southeast Asian countries as well as the Middle East, etc., and is one of the core subsidiaries of Mitsui's energy upstream business. Mitsui's acquisition of shares in MOECO from MCI, SMBC, Mizuho and BTMU is in line with its strategy to increase its consolidated competitiveness through closer relationship with MOECO.

Mitsui has positioned its mineral resources and energy business as a significant strategic business area and continues to acquire attractive oil and natural gas assets in order to establish a more robust and well-balanced business portfolio.

Company information of MOECO

Company Name	Mitsui Oil Exploration Co., Ltd.
Representative	Yoshiyuki Kagawa, President and Chief Executive Officer
Head Office	Hibiya Central Bldg., 2-9 Nishi-Shimbashi 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003, Japan
Paid-in Capital	33,133.4 million Yen
Business Activities	Exploration, development, production and sales of crude oil, natural gas and other mineral resources and investment and lending to the companies engaged in these activities, etc.
Consolidated Net Sales	99 billion Yen (fiscal year ended March 2009)
Net Income	41 billion Yen (fiscal year ended March 2009)
Total Assets	367.6 billion Yen (as of March 31, 2009)
End of Fiscal Year	End of March
Total Issued Shares	66,266,800 Shares
Major Shareholders (Before the acquisition)	Mitsui : 54.61% Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry : 20.03% MCI : 4.98% SMBC : 4.28%

Notice:
This press release includes forward-looking statements about Mitsui. These forward-looking statements are based on the current assumptions and beliefs of Mitsui in light of the information currently available to it, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause Mitsui's actual results, performance, achievements or financial position to be materially different from any future results, performance, achievements or financial position expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors referred to above include, but are not limited to, those contained in Mitsui's latest annual report on Form 20-F, which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This press release is published in order to publicly announce specific facts stated above, and does not constitute a solicitation of investments or any similar act inside or outside of Japan, regarding the shares, bonds or other securities issued by us.

For inquiries on this matter, please contact

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Investor Relations Division Telephone: +81-3-3285-7910 Facsimile: +81-3-3285-9819	Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Corporate Communications Division Kazuhisa Kawamura Telephone: +81-3-3285-7540 Facsimile: +81-3-3285-9819

The information contained in this news release is true and accurate at the time of publication; however, it may be subject to change without prior notice.

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