One of the largest Russian pipe producers, ChTPZ Group, which consists of Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant (ChTPZ) and Pervouralsky Novotrubny Works (PNTZ), has announced its operational results for the first nine months of 2009.
During the first three quarters, the group registered a 34 percent decrease year on year in its pipe deliveries to 825,800 metric tons, due to a 28 percent decrease year on year in pipe demand in the Russian domestic market - the company's main sales market. Regardless, in the third quarter of 2009, ChTPZ Group has registered a positive dynamic, increasing its pipe deliveries to 292,900 mt - up ten percent compared to the second quarter of the current year. This positive dynamic was due to the increase of PNTZ's hot rolled pipe sales for export, and was also due to the deliveries of ChTPZ's large diameter pipes to the Russian oil and gas companies, Transneft and Gazprom.
In the first nine months of 2009, the pipe deliveries of ChTPZ amounted to 434,000 mt, including 266,100 mt of large diameter pipes. In September 2009, ChTPZ shipped 48,100 mt of pipes - down ten percent month on month, including 33,400 mt of large diameter pipes.
On the other hand, PNTZ's pipe shipments in January-September this year amounted to 391,800 mt, while its September deliveries totaled 46,200 mt - down 3.75 percent month on month.