Growth of steel-tube production

Abstract

Russia has seen a stable increase in the production of steel tubes in recent years, with the output of these products reaching 7,898,000 tons in 2006 and 8,706,000 tons in 2007. The trends in the use of the various types of steel tubes remain the same as in previous years: the demand for small-and medium diameter welded pipes is decreasing, while increases are seen in the use of welded large-diameter pipes and seamless pipes that can be used to extract and transport oil and gas; seamless pipes will continue to be displaced by welded pipes, with the production of the latter now accounting for 58% of all tubular products being made. In the next few years, Russian manufacturers will be busy modernizing their equipment and introducing new facilities for the production of quality semifinished products and finished tubes meeting world standards. The future of the Russian tube industry lies both here and abroad. As much as 25% of its products are already being exported, and Russia’s leading position in terms of its reserves of oil and gas, the long distances that oil and gas must be transported, and the fact that several large pipeline projects are already under way also make the prospects for growth in the domestic market quite promising.