Russian pipemaker TMK has announced that it has defined with Russian steel producer Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) the technical requirements of plates to be manufactured at MMK's new plate mill 5000 for its production of longitudinal welded large diameter (LD) pipes, which will be used in the construction of main oil and gas pipelines.
Within the framework of the strategic partnership agreement signed between TMK and MMK, it was agreed that the production of MMK's new plate mill 5000 will be the main material to be used at TMK's subsidiary Volzhsky Pipe Plant's newly commissioned LD longitudinal welded pipe mill. The parties have also defined the terms for the beginning of the production of sample plate batches for Volzhsky Pipe Plant, and have decided on the railway delivery scheme.
In addition, the companies prepared a joint program for developing the production of steel sheets resistant in environments with high levels of hydrogen sulfide, and which will correspond to Det Norske Veritas (DNV) requirements for underwater pipelines.
MMK's new plate mill 5000 will produce plates of 4,850 mm in width and of X100-X120 strength characteristics for the oil and gas, shipbuilding, bridge building and machine building industries. The mill's annual capacity will be 1.5 million mt, including 300,000 mt of thermally-treated steel plates.