Severstal Cherepovets, the main steel producing facility of Severstal Russian Steel, has announced that it has produced the first testing strips of X90 and X100 strength grade at mill 5000 from its flat rolling shop No. 3.
The production of high strength strips is carried out within the framework of the state project Magistral, started in 2007 and directed towards the creation of high strength pipe steels and advanced technologies for the production of large diameter pipes of X100 strength grade, which will ensure the design, construction and reliability of the largest oil and gas pipelines, even in Arctic conditions.
The project is being implemented by a consortium consisting of Severstal (Cherepovets and Izhorsky Pipe Plant), of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials "Prometey" and the I. P. Bardin Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy (TsNII ChERMET). In 2008, the consortium mastered production technology for strips and large diameter pipes of K60, X70 and X80 strength grades.
Accordingly, Severstal Cherepovets plans to start the production of the X90 and X100 strength grade strips in 2009, while the production and testing of X100 strength grade pipes is scheduled for 2010.