OREANDA-NEWS. TMK IPSCO, the North American division of global pipe manufacturer TMK, has opened a new pipe threading and service facility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Located in neighboring Sherwood Park, the plant will supply the full line of ULTRATM premium connections on pipe and accessories to TMK IPSCO’s growing customer base in Alberta and neighboring British Columbia.

“Opening this plant is a major step forward in developing relations with our Canadian customers,” said Scott Barnes, senior vice president and chief commercial officer at TMK IPSCO. “Previous Canadian orders for ULTRA connections all had to be threaded in the U.S. and trucked to customers’ yards in Edmonton. This Edmonton facility allows for complete flexibility in the operating size range for quick response to our Canadian customer’s needs. Similarly, it also represents a major improvement in terms of logistics; we now have the ability to respond to accessory requests, and changes in string designs, in a matter of days. The western Canadian market has responded enthusiastically to this investment.”

TMK IPSCO began developing the Edmonton facility in March 2012 and to date has successfully threaded ULTRA DQX, QX, FJ and SF premium connections. The facility’s capabilities will be expanded to include TMK’s full line of premium connections. The size range for pipe and accessories to be threaded is 4 1/2 inches to 13 3/8 inches.

Along with its premium product offering, the Edmonton facility will play a key role in TMK IPSCO’s drive to expand its oil and gas field services business in Canada. The Canadian market continues to shift toward unconventional gas and oil resources, such as those found in the nearby Horn River, Montney and Duvernay Shales, and proven premium connections and sophisticated field services will be in ever greater demand.

“Ever since we opened our Calgary sales office in 2010, Canada has been a very important part of TMK IPSCO’s strategy,” said Vicki Avril, president & CEO at TMK IPSCO. “The opening of our new Edmonton facility is another major step not only in terms of better serving our Canadian customer base but also in terms of further expanding the market for our ULTRA premium connections. We are excited to bring high-tech manufacturing, improved services and new jobs to this very important region.”