DEA Finance SA announces that LetterOne, the shareholder of the DEA Group, has confirmed that the BASF Group is in discussions with LetterOne regarding a potential merger of the BASF Group's oil and gas activities with LetterOne's oil and gas activities, which comprise of the DEA Group. The outcome of the discussions is open and there is no assurance that any transaction will be consummated.

The DEA Group does not intend to make any further comments on this matter at this time.

About DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG

DEA Deutsche Erdoel AG is an international operator in the field of exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas based in Hamburg. Its focus is on safe, sustainable and environmental conscious exploitation of oil and gas. DEA has 118 years of experience working along the whole upstream value-chain as operator or project partner. With a staff force of 1,150 employees DEA has shares in production facilities and concessions in, among others, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Egypt, Algeria and Mexico.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS).