OREANDA-NEWS. October 11, 2010. United Metallurgical Company has served as the main sponsor of the 18th International Conference Pipes 2010. The forum titled "The Results of Modernization of the Domestic Steelmaking, Rolling, and Pipe Production to Improve Pipe Service Properties and Quality" was held in Chelyabinsk.

The Conference objective was to provide high quality pipes to strategic industries. OMK and VSW made several presentations at the Conference. Director of the OMK Engineering and Technological Center (ETC) Pavel Stepanov made a presentation titled "Innovative Development of the OMK Steel Works and Pipe-Rolling Divisions." Mr. Stepanov spoke about the practical implementation of the OMK Strategic Investment Program aimed at developing unique innovative products, constructing new facilities, and rehabilitating existing ones. Over the past 7 years, OMK has invested more than USD 4 billion to this end.

OMK and VSW representatives made the following presentations: "The Casting and Rolling Complex: Development of Technology to Produce High Quality Rolled Products Designed for Pipes with Enhanced Cold- and Corrosion-Resisting Properties" (speaker: Dmitry Kudashov, Principal Metallurgy and Thermal Treatment Specialist, ETC); "The Prospects of Using Ultra-Strength Pipes for the Construction of Main Gas Pipelines on the Basis of Test Results for an Pilot Batch of VSW-Made X100-Grade Pipes" (speaker: Aleksandr Mitin, Principal LDP Production Specialist, ETC); "The Development of Pipe Steels and Relevant Steelmaking Technology" (speaker: Leonid Efron, ETC Research Manager; "Production of Pipes with Improved Corrosion-Resisting Properties and Their Testing by VSW and Customers" (speaker: VSW Yelena Sharonova, Principal Corrosion Resistance Specialist, VSW); and "VSW – Large-Diameter Pipe Supplier for the Nord Stream Subsea Gas Pipeline" (speaker: Aleksey Rodionov, LDP Production Technology Manager, VSW).

All the presentations aroused considerable interest among the conference participants.