Russia's pipe market to widen

Russia’s pipe market to widen

Vitaly Sadykov, general director of ChTPZ Group, indicated that Russia's steel pipe market would expand in 2006-2007 due to increased demand from the oil sector. Sadykov said that the oil industry's 5-7 percent growth in consumption would help drive demand for large-diameter pipes up more than 15 percent. Sadykov also indicated that ChTPZ Group's Pervouralsk Novotrubny Works (PNTZ) is expected to cut pipe output in 2006 due to the restrictions on exports to Europe. On the other hand, he added that Group's Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant would increase pipe output 20 percent.