OREANDA-NEWS. Gazprom's Chairman of the Board, Alexey Miller, held a meeting with Russia's largest pipe manufacturers in Vyksa (Nizhny Novgorod Region). It took place at Vyksa Steel Works (VSW Open Joint Stock Company, part of United Metallurgical Company, OMK CJSC, Moscow) on September 25th. The meeting focused on: the cooperation between the pipe companies and Gazprom (in the fields of science and technology), their readiness to deliver pipes and fittings for the construction of the South Stream and Power of Siberia main gas pipelines, and expanding the import replacement effort.

Taking part in the meeting were: heads of Russian pipe companies, Gazprom's deputy chairmen of the board and board members, heads of its affiliates, members of the Association of Pipe Manufacturers, ROSNANO, Metaclay, and representatives of other R&D facilities.

At the meeting, reports were presented by: Pavel Tsybulsky, Director General at Gazprom-VNIIGAZ, representatives of OMK, Chelpipe Group, TMK, and Severstal.

The meeting's participants toured the large diameter pipe divisions of OMK's facilities: the modern Heavy Plate Mill 5000 and the electric weld pipe shop #4 at VSW. The guests could see the newest product items from OMK and other pipe companies including: pipes which were manufactured under the specifications of the South Stream and Power of Siberia main gas pipelines, and unique pipeline parts and valves produced by Chelyabinsk-based Trubodetal factory (Trubodetal Open Joint Stock Company, based in Chelyabinsk, part of OMK), and Blagoveshchensk Valves Plant (BVP, Open Joint Stock Company, based in the Republic of Bashkortostan, part of OMK).

“The production capacities and the experience of domestic pipe companies, which have accumulated in recent years as part of a scientific and technical cooperation with Gazprom, today meet 100% of Gazprom's demand in pipes and fittings for the implementation of new projects and for meeting current operational requirements,” said Alexey Miller, summing up the results of the meeting.

OMK's Chairman of the Board, Anatoly Sedykh, said in his address that the specific requirements for the pipeline products listed by Gazprom enabled OMK to create an innovative Russian manufacturing cluster of large diameter pipes and pipeline fittings. This in turn helped make the company Gazprom's largest supplier of LDPs; OMK successfully creates products for all of Gazprom's strategic projects. “The production of world-class pipes in Russia, and world leadership in delivering pipes for underwater pipeline projects - this is the result of OMK's investments and its technical cooperation with Gazprom. In today's conditions, we can forget about the “gas in return for pipes” scheme along which Soviet gas came to Europe. Russian pipe manufacturers can fully meet the demand of Russian consumers for large diameter pipes of any level of difficulty,” said Anatoly Sedykh.