[UCAR LOGO]

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

                                                                    NEWS RELEASE

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

        UCAR COMPLETES $150 MILLION OFFERING OF ADDITIONAL SENIOR NOTES


         Wilmington, DE - May 6, 2002 - UCAR International Inc. (NYSE: UCR)
today announced that the closing of its $150 million private offering of
additional Senior Notes due 2012 was completed earlier today. The issue price of
the additional Senior Notes was 104.5 percent of principal amount, plus accrued
interest, with the first semi-annual interest payment due August 15, 2002. The
additional Senior Notes have an annual coupon rate of 10.25 percent and, as a
result of the price, the yield to maturity on the additional Senior Notes is
approximately 9.53 percent. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from
this offering for the repayment of debt under its senior secured credit
facilities.

         The additional Senior 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 additional
Senior 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.