LSB Industries, Inc. Updates Status of El Dorado Facility Expansion

LSB Industries, Inc. LXU ("LSB" or "the Company"), a producer of chemical products for the agricultural, mining and industrial markets and a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential climate control products, today provided an update on the status of the expansion project at its El Dorado, Arkansas facility ("EDC expansion"). The new nitric acid plant and concentrator are on schedule to be completed and operational by the end of the third quarter of 2015. The 375,000 ton per year ammonia plant remains on schedule to be completed and operational in the first quarter of 2016. The Company's current cost estimate for the EDC expansion is now in the range of $560 million to $575 million, up from the previous estimate of $495 million to $520 million. Based on management's current project cost estimates and forecast for operating cash flow, at this time LSB does not expect to require additional financing to complete the EDC expansion other than the previously announced financings related to the installation of the cogeneration facility and the ammonia storage tank. The Company recently updated its cost estimate to complete the EDC expansion using refined estimates for specific quantities of construction materials and labor-hours based upon information provided by its engineering, procurement and construction contractor. Contributing to the increased cost estimate to complete the EDC expansion were productivity and quality issues with a subcontractor responsible for the installation of piping in the ammonia plant. "We are pleased to report that the timeline for completion of our El Dorado facility expansion remains intact, although we are disappointed that the total cost of the project is expected to exceed our initial cost estimates," stated Barry Golsen, LSB's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The safety, product quality, and operational reliability of the El Dorado facility are our primary areas of focus as we move forward toward the completion of the project. Even with the anticipated higher costs, we believe that the project economics remain compelling, with the new capacity expected to yield approximately $90 million of annual incremental EBITDA operating at full capacity."