INNOVATION WITH DYNEEMA® IN UNDERWATER PIPE-LAYING OPERATIONS

Urmond, April 4, 2007 – Allseas Group S.A., a Swiss offshore pipelaying company, has collaborated with DSM Dyneema to improve the safety and speed of underwater pipe-laying using next-generation rope technology. The two companies have worked to replace traditional steel wire rope used to adjust pipelay stingers with a new product from BEXCOropes that is made with ultra-strong, lightweight polyethylene Dyneema® fiber. The new rope, which has been installed on Allseas’ pipe-laying vessel Audacia, enables faster, easier and safer operations.

“Adjusting the stinger is a critical part of the pipe-laying process because it determines the precise curvature of the pipe as it enters the water,” explained André Steenhuis, Allseas Innovation Manager. “The heavy, rough steel wire rope hampered our crews, slowing down our operations. With the rope’s high strength and low weight provided by Dyneema® fiber, we can achieve the precision we need more quickly and easily. Our partnership with DSM Dyneema has led to a major advance in pipe-laying efficiency and safety.”

Because of the heavy weight of the 150-meter steel wire rope, Allseas’ crews experienced difficult handling, and higher risk of damage and injury. Also, corrosion shortened the rope’s useful life. In contrast, the new stinger adjustment rope with Dyneema® is easy to lift and maneuver, is exceptionally durable, and can help avoid injuries. The high strength-to-weight ratio of Dyneema® polyethylene fiber enables use of thinner ropes that are easier to deploy, recover and store. The rope made with Dyneema® fiber only weighs 9.8 kg/meter; steel wire rope of equivalent strength weighs about 65 kg/meter.

BEXCOropes created the load-bearing portion of the adjustment rope from 100 percent Dyneema® fiber. The core of the 136-mm-diameter rope is protected against abrasion by a Deltaflex cover, which is BEXCOropes’ proprietary technology. Adjustment ropes, which are kept on a winch, can be subjected to as much as 250 tons of force.

Rigo Bosman, Market Segment Manager Offshore at DSM Dyneema said, “We have closely collaborated with Allseas Group and BEXCOropes to perfect new rope technology based on Dyneema® fiber, which will help pipelaying companies improve the efficiency and safety of day-to-day operations. Although this is the first use of Dyneema® fiber in this industry, its strength, light weight and durability have proven their value in many other marine applications, and we see great potential for Dyneema® in new offshore applications such as Abandonment- and Recovery ropes.”

About DSM Dyneema

DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® is an ultra strong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.

Dyneema® is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands) and in Greenville, North Carolina (U.S.A.). DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan.

Further information on DSM Dyneema is available at www.dyneema.com.

About DSM

DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company develops, produces and sells innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life. DSM’s products are used in a wide range of end-markets and applications, such as human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings and paint, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). DSM’s strategy, named Vision 2010 – Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company’s specialties portfolio. The key drivers of this strategy are market-driven growth and innovation plus an increased presence in emerging economies. The group has annual sales of over €8 billion and employs some 22,000 people worldwide. DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas.

More information about DSM can be found at www.dsm.com.

Dyneema®, Dyneema Purity® and Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber™ are trademark(s) (applications) owned by Royal DSM N.V.

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