Nord Stream Project Orders UO Pipe to 3 Companies, Japan, Russia and Germany

Nord Stream Project, mainly operated by Gazprom of Russia, announced on Monday the project joint venture ordered steel tubes for line pipes to 3 companies, those which are Sumitomo Corporation, Japanese major warehouse, Euro Pipe of Germany and OMK of Russia. Nord Stream Project will construct an undersea natural gas pipe line from Russia to Germany. The project will consume large-diameter UO pipes at 1 million tonnes. There are many natural gas pipe line projects in the world starting in and after fiscal 2010 (April 2010-March 2011). The supply of large-diameter UO pipes is expected to tighten.

The pipeline’s total length is 1,220 kilometers. High quality UO pipes will be applied which can endure the gas pressure on passage as high as 22 mega Pascal. UO pipe’s thickness is 26.8 millimeters, 30.9 millimeters and 34.6 millimeters while the inner diameter is 1153 millimeters, according to a concerned source. The strength grade is X70 with API standard. Nord Stream Project will start construction of A pipeline in spring 2010 and B pipeline in spring 2011.

Several natural gas pipe line projects were suspended or postponed in and after fiscal 2008 when the demand for industrial gas decreased due to global economic downturn. However, the demand now recovered especially in emerging countries where energy consumption is increasing. Many pipeline projects were restarted in the second half of fiscal 2009.

Japanese 3 major pipe makers, Nippon Steel, JFE Steel and Sumitomo Metal Industries have accepted UO pipe orders at total 150,000 tonnes for Gorgon LNG project in Australia and 310,000 tonnes for natural gas pipeline in Papua New Guinea. Their order receipts are increasing.