TMK, one of the major steel pipe producers in Russia shipped 1.058 million tons of steel pipes in the first quarter of this year, remaining flat from a quarter ago. Among them, 625,000 tons were seamless steel pipes, down by 1.2% year on year and falling by 1.9% from a month ago, caused by lower shipments of its subsidiary in the US.

Meanwhile, the shipments of welded steel pipes totaled 433,000 tons, rising by 2.8% year on year and reaming flat from a month earlier. In addition, the shipments of oil country tubular goods (OCTG) totaled 434,000 tons, falling by 2.5% year on year but rising by 3.1% month on month. TMK said that since the Russian oil and gas industry grows rapidly this year, the country’s demand for OCTG and line pipes remains strong.