German plantmaker SMS Meer has announced that Vallourec & Sumitomo Tubos do Brasil (VSB), a joint venture of Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd and Vallourec Group, has placed an order with the company for the supply of a premium quality finishing (PQF®) seamless tube plant to be built in the state of Minas Gerias, Brazil. The new plant will have an annual production capacity of 600,000 metric tons and is scheduled to start production in 2010.
The plant in question will specialize in the production of seamless OCTG pipes with diameters of up to 16″.In the statement regarding the order, SMS Meer said it will supply all the key components of the mill equipment for the PQF® plant.
The new PQF® plant is intended to form part of VSB's new state-of-the-art integrated steel works and pipe mill that will strengthen the competitiveness of Vallourec and Sumitomo Metals in an expanding market.