A $1.8 billion state-of-the-art seamless pipe mill was unveiled before local, state, and federal representatives in Bay City, Texas, last month, following early startups of the heat treatment and finishing areas and successful test runs of the complete hot rolling process.
Tenaris, a global supplier of tubes and related services for the energy industry and certain other industrial applications, produced its first seamless pipe at the facility in October. The 1.2 million sq ft mill is strategically located near key shale plays and has the capacity to produce 600,000 tons of OCTG, annually, which will be shipped directly to customer rig sites or stored at Tenaris service centers in Bay City, Freeport, Midland or Oklahoma.
The launch ceremony in December included U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Tenaris customers, community members, and employees.
“TenarisBayCity shows our commitment to domestic manufacturing, competitively supplying the US oil and gas industry,” said Paolo Rocca, Tenaris Chairman and CEO. “This mill, which incorporates the most advanced technologies available worldwide, will lead our domestic industrial and service network dedicated to the US market.”
“Wherever Tenaris pipes go, jobs will follow. This company is fulfilling the promises it has made,” said Secretary Perry.
“As a leading supplier of pipes, casing, and tubing, Tenaris has played a significant role in the oil and gas surge here in Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “With this $1.8 billion investment, Tenaris has not only built the most technologically advanced pipe manufacturing facility in the world, but they have also created hundreds of new jobs in Texas.”
