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UCAR INTERNATIONAL INC.           BRANDYWINE WEST, 1521 CONCORD PIKE, SUITE 301,
                                                            WILMINGTON, DE 19803

                                                          N E W S  R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                CONTACT:  Elise A. Garofalo
                                                  Director of Investor Relations
                                                                    302-778-8227


                UCAR COMPLETES $400 MILLION SENIOR NOTE OFFERING

         Wilmington, DE - February 15, 2002 - UCAR International Inc. (NYSE:UCR)
today announced that the closing of its $400 million private offering of Senior
Notes due 2012 was completed earlier today. The deal was upsized from $250
million. The Senior Notes have an annual coupon rate of 10.25 percent. The issue
price of the Senior Notes is 100 percent of principal amount plus accrued
interest, with the first semi-annual interest payment due on August 15, 2002.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for the repayment
of debt under its senior secured credit facilities.

         The notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States
absent such registration or an applicable exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act.

         This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the notes in
any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

         UCAR INTERNATIONAL PROVIDES NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC GRAPHITE AND CARBON
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS IN THE STEEL, ALUMINUM, FUEL CELL POWER
GENERATION, ELECTRONICS, SEMICONDUCTOR AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRIES.

         NOTE: THIS NEWS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AS DEFINED
IN THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. THESE INCLUDE
STATEMENTS ABOUT SUCH MATTERS AS THE USE OF PROCEEDS OF A PRIVATE PLACEMENT. WE
HAVE NO DUTY TO UPDATE SUCH STATEMENTS. ACTUAL FUTURE EVENTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES
(INCLUDING FUTURE RESULTS) COULD DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE SET FORTH IN THESE
STATEMENTS DUE TO VARIOUS FACTORS. THESE FACTORS INCLUDE POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE
BUSINESS, PROSPECTS, RESULTS OF OPERATION OR FINANCIAL CONDITION OF UCAR
INTERNATIONAL AND OTHER RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, INCLUDING THOSE DETAILED IN
FILINGS BY UCAR INTERNATIONAL WITH THE SEC.