SteelOrbis Shanghai
On December 25, Baosteel was awarded the "Certificate for Exemption from Export Inspection" for its oil-pipe products by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, thus becoming the only steelmaker to be exempted from inspection for oil-pipe products in China.
Besides oil pipes, with continuous R&D technological breakthroughs as regards pipe products, Baosteel says that its pipe products are gaining in popularity both in the domestic and foreign markets. Currently, Baosteel's pipe products are mainly used in drilling and transmission of oil and natural gas, auto parts, high pressure boilers, and construction.
In China's West-East Natural Gas Transmission Project I, 470,000 mt of Baosteel's welding pipes were used, accounting for 66 percent of total weight in the project.
In auto parts industry in 2007, 400,000 mt of precision tubes were used to produce auto stabilizing bars in Shanghai Allevard Co., while super long alloy pipes T22 (20.8 meters long) were exported to BHK Co. (Philippine). Furthermore, the world's biggest auto transmission shaft company - Germany-based GKN - started to purchase some of Baosteel's precision tubes for its production. This is Baosteel's first time exporting such products to the EU. The yearly sales growth rate of Baosteel's auto tubes is expected to reach 47 percent compared to 2006.
Baosteel's boiler tubes have been performing as well as its auto tubes. The producer has realized massive production of super long tubes (20 meters and plus) in accordance with ASME, SA213 and T22 standards. Baosteel's output of T91 and T92 has also increased obviously. Output and sales in 2007 are expected to increase by 10 percent.
Besides the local market, Baosteel is also targeting overseas markets. The producer's oil & gas pipes, auto tubes, boiler tubes and internal thread pipes have received API and PED certification, and are exported to over 20 countries.