March 19, 2013. Chelyabinsk Tube-Rolling Plant and Pervouralsk New Pipe Plant (members of ChTPZ Group) shipped 1,724,000 tons of pipes to their consumers in 2012, which was 4.1% less than in 2011 (-74,300 tons). The drop in shipping volumes has to do with the declining demand for LDPs in Russia, ChTPZ press service says.

Last year, ChTPZ shipped 980,000 tons of weldless pipes, 744,000 tons of welded pipes, and 695,000 tons of LDPs to consumers. Remarkably, even though the Russian LDP market is going through a general downfall, ChTPZ’s share in the total shipments of LDPs by home manufacturers actually rose by 9%. This was caused by growing LDP shipments to the CIS. As for the OCTG segment, the 20.1% increase (up to 254,000 tons) was brought about by the de-preservation of the company’s tubing string department.

In January-December 2012, ChTPZ Group’s pipe-making plants made a number of shipments for the strategic natural gas and oil pipelines such as the South Passageway, Bovanenkovo-Ukhta, Zapolyarye-Purpe, and Beineu-Bozoy-Shymkent. This year, ChTPZ Group will keep up with its strategy targeted at building up its share of the home market and that of the CIS market.