Tenaris has produced its first seamless pipe at its Bay City, Texas, mill after having tested the complete hot rolling process.
The solid steel billet underwent the transformation from bar to pipe starting at the rotary furnance, passing through the piercer, and after going through other stages of production, the pipe made its way to the cooling bed.
“This first pipe sets our ramp up of production in motion,” said Germán Curá, President North America. “This is a major achievement and a reflection of the dedication by our entire team whom have contributed hard work in all aspects of the process.”
The production of the first pipe marks the last major milestone in the construction of the new seamless facility - Tenaris’s first greenfield project in 60 years.
Two areas of the plant – heat treatment and finishing - are already in operation, processing and threading pipes. Tenaris has also been dispatching pipe to customers from the mill’s onsite service center.
Tenaris’s mill in Bay City serves as the hub of the company’s industrial activity in the U.S., driving its mill-to-rig business model known as Rig Direct™, which synchronizes the production of pipe with customers’ drilling operations through the direct delivery of pipes, and services.
Final tests of the hot rolling mill will continue to ensure all critical processes and systems are executed properly in preparation for the start of operations.
The $1.8 billion seamless plant is the most advanced, automated pipe manufacturing facility in the world, with a capacity to produce 600,000 tons of OCTG when fully operational.
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