OREANDA-NEWS. Volzhsky Pipe Plant, a TMK subsidiary, has successfully passed a qualification audit of its quality management system, technological processes and products, conducted by Shell, one of the world’s largest oil & gas companies. The assessments have confirmed the plant’s capability to produce casing pipe according to API 5CT and API 5B standards and Shell’s specifications, as well as high quality TMK proprietary premium connections.

Shell’s technical experts have conducted a detailed inspection of casing pipe and coupling production, non-destructive testing processes in pipe rolling shop No. 3, and tests carried out in the plant’s central laboratory. As part of the quality management system audit, units supporting the pipe production process were inspected. The auditors surveyed the electric arc furnace shop and pipe rolling shop No. 2.

Following the qualification audit, Volzhsky Pipe Plant has been approved as supplier of casing pipe up to grade P110 (including grade L80 13 Cr) to Shell’s operations around the world. In particular, these products can be used in projects operated by Sakhalin Energy (a JV established between Gazprom and Shell) to develop fields on the North-East shelf of Sakhalin Island.

In their report, the auditors emphasised the use of best practices by Volzhsky Pipe Plant exceeding the mandatory requirements, including clear procedures for competence assessments of the staff employed in core production shops, managing internal audit processes, and assessing risks related to the development of new products. The auditors also highly praised the skills demonstrated by the plant’s specialists.