OREANDA-NEWS. In November 2006, Vyksa Steel Works (VSW, Nizhni Novgorod Region), part of United Metallurgical Company (OMK), produced 150,783 tonnes of pipes – a 65% increase YOY (in 2005, 90,857 tonnes) – and thus set its all-time record.

According to the press service of OMK, for the 11 months of 2006, VSW manufactured 1,371,342 tonnes of pipes – a 55% increase YOY (in 2005, 884,118 tonnes).

In November 2006, the Works produced, for the first time, 75,296 tonnes of large-diameter pipes (LDP). For the 11 months of 2006, the LDP production was 728,156 tonnes – an almost double increase YOY (in 2005, 378,783 tonnes).

Over the past two years, all VSW's pipe mills have been modernized, with OMK's investments totaling over $700 million. At present, VSW has Russia's and FSU's most advanced and powerful large-diameter (530-1,420 mm) pipe production complex.

All this enabled OMK to become the key supplier of large-diameter pipes for the construction of the North European Gas Pipeline (100% of the complete set) the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean Oil Pipeline (at least 40% of the complete set). Under the Development Program, it is planned that in 2010 Vyksa Steel Works will annually manufacture about 2,5 million tonnes of pipes. In 2008, the VSW LDP production complex will be the world's most powerful and technologically advanced one.