Russia sees 43.1 percent increase in pipe output in January-June

According to the data issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, in the first half of this year Russia registered a 43.1 percent increase in its pipe production to 4.291 million mt.
 
In particular, in January-June 2010, Russian output of electric-welded large diameter (LD) pipes increased by 81.4 percent, its production of electric-welded pipes, excluding LD pipes, went up by 31.5 percent, its production of welded pipes, excluding electric-welded pipes, rose by 18.2 percent, production of seamless pipes saw an increase of 29.5 percent, output of casing pipes increased 25.1 percent, production of drill pipes went up by 61 percent, while output of tubing increased by 7.3 percent, all compared to the same period last year.  
 
Accordingly, the increase in pipe output indicates a rise of consumption in Russian industrial sectors, such as oil and gas, machine building and construction.
 
In H1 2010, an increase in pipe production was registered by all major domestic pipemakers. In particular, TMK's Volzhsky Pipe Plant saw its pipe production rise by 2.3 times, its subsidiary Taganrog Metallurgical Works saw a 22.2 percent increase in output, its Seversky Tube Works registered a 13.7 percent increase, while its Sinarsky Pipe Plant saw its pipe output decrease slightly by 0.3 percent, all compared to H1 2009. Meanwhile, OMK's Vyksa Steel Works (Vyksa) increased its pipe output by 33.2 percent, ChTPZ Group's Pervouralsky Novotrubny Works saw a 29.5 percent rise in its pipe output and the same group's Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant saw its production increase by 41.4 percent, all compared to the first half of the previous year.