On July 3, Hunan Province-based Valin Hengyang Steel Tube Co. Ltd succeeded in producing seamless pipes with 446 mm in diameter, 25.5 mm in thickness and 8,500 mm in length, the first pipes produced by its new 720 mm seamless pipe production unit which is capable of producing the world's largest seamless steel pipes.
Built with a total investment of nearly RMB 1 billion, Hengyang Steel's 720 mm seamless pipe unit will be mainly used to produce seamless pipe for building structures, for boilers and for oil casing and gas cylinders, and as well as other varieties of seamless pipe. The designed annual capacity of this production unit will reach 200,000 mt, and it is scheduled to produce 35,000 mt of steel pipe in 2009.
With the 720 mm seamless pipe unit having commenced production, Hengyang Steel is now able to produce seamless pipes of all specifications, meeting the needs of power stations, the oil and chemical industry, the construction sector and other industries for high-alloy seamless pipe of super-large diameter and thickness.