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AllsteelmakerssinceAndrewCarnegiehave dreamed of vertical integration. Usually, that comes down to havingcaptive raw material sources like scrap,coke and ore. In the US, however, there’sbeencomparativelylittleintegrationintheother direction. Most domestic mills arehappy to sell their steel as‐is todistributors,processorsorfabricatorswithpreciousfewexceptions. Thatlookstobechangingintheworldofhigh‐endoil ieldpipe.Atleasttwolargetubemakers have announced in the pastweek or so that they’re bringing theirthreadingandend‐ inishingoperations in‐house or expanding their existingoperations. Downstream integration used to be
relatively common for tubular producers.Mills commonly became involved in drillstring design for their dedicated clients.And one notable US steel company evenbrie lydabbledintheactualproductionofhydrocarbons and the associated luids,bitsandpiecesneededtoextractthem. The material needs of the oil and gasindustry are likely to become even morecomplex over time, requiring mills andtheircustomerstodovetailonanumberoflevels.At somepoint, itmaybecomehardto tellwhere the steel company ends andtheenergycompanybegins.DanHilliard,[email protected]
Down‐hole downstream could be new standard
Top News
Late Breaking News ■ OCTG end‐ inishing capacity set to
skyrocketin2011,early2012■ Global oil and gas activity still
Northwest Pipe has petitioned a USfederal court in Tacoma, Washington, todismiss a shareholder lawsuit stemmingfrom concurrent US Securities andExchange Commission and internalinvestigations of its accounting practices. Attorneys representing Northwestclaim that a lawsuit brought byshareholders in late 2009 should bedismissed because it fails to identify anywrongdoing on the part of Northwest tomanipulateitsstockprice. Furthermore, the attorneys note thatshareholders cannot claim an economiclossbasedonlyontheannouncementofan
investigation. “The applicable law is plain…losscausation requires a disclosure of thealleged wrongdoing, and not merely of arisk thatwrongdoingmay laterbe found,”theattorneyswriteinaFebruary25 iling. Northwest’s investigation into itsaccounting practices began in November2009. It concluded with a restatement of itsearningssince2005. The company had previously beenrecordingsteelcostsatthetimetheywereincurred rather than when the steelenteredthemillingprocess.
“Virtually all the bills are landowner‐oriented or oriented toward the local municipality...That’s the goal."
Pennsylvania state senator Gene Yaw on several bills introduced to the Senate in the past week dealing with on‐going water quality issues in the Marcellus shale forma on.
Top News SBB Pipe & Tube Trackers
October 5, 2010
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Standard & Poor’s thinks trouble maybe on the way for natural gas pipelinebondholders. While S&P continues to view theindustry favorably, recent high‐pro ileaccidents are likely to bring increasedregulatoryscrutinyandassociatedcosts. In addition, large new shale plays –particularly the northeastern USA’sMarcellus shale formation ‐ are locatedrelatively close to large end markets likeNewYorkandWashingtonDC,decreasingthe importance of long‐range natural gaspipelines to transport gas to once‐keyre ineriesintheGulf.
Effective immediately, former WebcoIndustriesCEOF.WilliamWeberhascededthepositiontoDanaWeber,thecompany’sCOOandpresident. Weber will retain his position aschairman of the US carbon and specialtytubemaker. David Boyerwillmove up toCOO. “Both of these promotions re lect thetirelesseffortsandundyingcommitmentoftheseindividualstoWebco’ssuccess,”saidWeber.“WhileIhaverelinquishedtheroleofCEOtoDana, Iwillcontinuetoserveasthechairmanoftheboardofdirectorsandbeinvolvedonadailybasis.”
Northwest asks for shareholder suit dismissal
Contents
Regional Reports…………………………. US Trade……………....…..…..…………... Canada Trade………..…………….…..…. NAFTA Industrial…...………….....….... End Use ‐ Oil & Gas……………………... Profile ‐ Associated Pipe Line ...…..
Singapore +65 6227 7811 São Paulo +55 11 3371 5755 Bursa +90 224 234 1523
North America ■ Midstreamnaturalgas irmSouthcrossEnergyofDallasexpectstolayover25miles
of linepipe – representing almost5,200 short tonsof steel – into theEagleFordshaleformationbymid‐2011.The20‐inchODlinewilllinkgaslandbeingworkedbySwiftEnergyCoinMcMullenCounty,TexaswithaSouthcrossprocessingfacilityinGregory,Texas.
credits improved volumes and pricing for its year‐on‐year improvement. For theiscal2011secondquarterendedJanuary31,Webcopostednetpro itof$5.23m.IniscalQ22010,Webcopro itedjust$124,000.FiscalQ22011salestopped$112m,up73.6%fromayearago.
■ TMKIpscoplans toadda threading lineandotherend‐ inishingequipment to its
Wilder, Kentucky mill later this year. TMK’s 570,000‐short ton/year Wilder millcurrentlysendsthe4.5‐16‐inchweldedpipeitproducestoaseparateTMKfacilityfor threading.Thenew threading lineatWilderwill “result in signi icant savings,improve ef iciency and modernize our facility,” according to a companyspokeswoman. The company also recently began commissioning of a secondthreadinglineatitsBrook ield,Ohio,facility.
■ Stainless pipe makers Marcegaglia USA and Outokumpu raised their transaction
8% this year to reach 27‐28m tonnes. Prices are likely to remain high due tosoaringrawmaterialcosts.ArecentreportfromChinaMetallurgicalNews(CMN),apublicationoftheChinaIron&SteelAssociation(CISA),quotesindustryinsidersassayingdemandforseamlesswillrisethisyearboostedbyenergysectorsincludingrising oil/gas drilling activities and large investments in clean energy (includinghydroelectricandnuclearpower).
■ China’s privately‐owned Huludao City Steel Pipe Industrial (Huludao), which
specializesinproducingelectricresistancewelded(ERW)pipes,willcommissionasecondERWpipemillatitsPhilippinesoperationinJune.Thenewmill,locatedinthe Philippines' Clark Special Economic Zone, will produce oil tubular countrygoods forexport to theNorthAmericanmarket.Thenewmillwill beable to rollERWin6~14inches(168‐355mm)diameterandinthicknessesof2~11mm.
Europe ■ Marek Mazurek has been appointed the new chief executive of Polish steel pipe
insulator and distributor Izostal. He replacesWladyslawMrzyglod who resignedfrom the company last week without giving a reason for his departure. MarekMazurek had been Izostal’s inancial director since 2005 and also later becamecompanyvice‐president.
■ Russian steelmaking group Severstal says it envisages a strong 2011,with better
market conditions and increased production and sales volumes, at high prices,which should be supported by strong raw materials prices and restocking.The group increased its revenue by 42% to $13.6bn last year, making $1.43bnpro itfromcontinuingactivities,althoughitmadeanetlossof$577m.
Vanguard Natural Resources LLC'sproved reserves jumped 191% in2010, the Houston‐based E&P companyreports.El PasoPipelinePartners LPhas agreedtopay$587mtoacquireanadditional22% interest in Southern Natural GasCofromElPasoCorp.
Imports plunge Importlicensedatashowimportsfell23.7% in February, signaling a broaddecline that affected all productcategoriesexceptpiling. OCTGleaddeclines,fallingbyathirdfor the month. Double‐digit declineswere also seen for line, standard,mechanical,structural,andnonclassi ied. AlthoughFebruarylicensedatashowpressure tubing imports down 20% inFebruary, pressure tubing imports inNov 2010—Jan 2011 were 50% abovethecategory’shistoricalaverage.
Dec
09
Jan
10
Feb
10M
ar 1
0
Apr
10
May
10
Jun
10Ju
l 10
Aug
10
Sep
10
Oct
10
Nov
10
Dec
10
Jan
11
Feb
11M
ar 1
1
Pg. 3
Source: Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis System
US Imports by Product and Country—Feb 2011 (top 5 displayed, m‐o‐m change, metric tonnes)
Trade Watch US
CONFERENCEMay 23-24Pittsburgh
Shale Play Tubulars
sbb.com/steelevents/shale-tubulars11/
Highlights LineimportsfromGreecesoaredto10,367 tonnes, although Greek lineimportshavebeennonexistent sinceMay2010. Greek line imports accounted forvirtually all of Greece’s imports inFebruarylicensedata. South Korean imports slumped the
most of any major trading partner.Contraction in SouthKorea’s line importsaccountedforallofthem‐o‐mlossfortheproductcategory. Turkey is typically a major source ofOCTG, but license data show no TurkishOCTGimportsrecordedforFebruary.
Source: Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis System
Canada Feb 2011 Imports (metric tonnes, m‐o‐m changes)
-100% 100%
m-o-m change
Imports flat Canadian steel pipe & tube importswere latinFebruaryasdeclinesinOCTGimportsoffsetlargeincreasesinlinepipeimports. Imports from Italy surged fromnearlyzeroinJanuaryto5,144tonnesinFebruary, primarily due to higherimportsofsmalllinepipe. Taiwan likewise posted a largemonth‐on‐month gain,with increases inTaiwanese imports of standard, OCTG,andlinepipe.
NAFTA Quarterly GDP Growth (millions USD, seasonally adjusted)
New orders for durable goods rise New orders for US durable goodsrose 3.2% in January after declining forthreeconsecutivemonths,accordingtoaMarch 3 release from theUS CommerceDepartment. Transportation equipment showedthe largest rise, a $10.8B or 27.3% rise,primarily due to a surge in orders forcommercialaircraft. Orders of nondefense capital goodsexcluding aircraft, a barometer ofbusinessinvestment,fell6.2%inJanuaryfor the largest fall since Jan 2009. Thedecline followed two months ofincreases.
US Manufacturers New Orders (millions USD, seasonally adjusted)
Canada’s GDP beats expecta ons Canada's GDP rose faster thanexpected in Q4 2010 on the strength ofrising exports and durable goodspurchases. GDPgrewata3.3%annualrateinQ42010,exceedingthe3.0%growthforeastbyaBloombergsurveyofeconomists.Ona non‐annualized basis, the risetranslatesto0.8%quarterlygrowth. Exports increased 4% during thequarter. Energy exports by volumesurged 17%, as crude oil rose 30% to arecordhigh. Business spending on plants andequipment rose 2.5%, mainly due to a4.9% growth in investment innonresidentialstructures. Domesticpurchasesofdurablegoodsrose 2.9% in Q4 2010 after rising just0.6%inQ32010. Canadian growth outpaced USoutput,whichgrewata2.9%annualrateinQ42010,boggeddownbyhousingandweakconsumerspending.
TheNorthAmericanrigcountappearsto have rebounded slightly in the latestcount by petroleum industry consultingirmBakerHughes. TheUSpickedupeightrigs fora totalof1,707,or311rigsabovetheequivalent2010count. During the week ended March 4, theUS gained 18 rigs geared for oil but lostseven geared for natural gas and three
classi ied as miscellaneous, yielding thenetgainofeight. By state, Pennsylvania posted thelargest individual loss of 11 net rigs,followed by Texas with ive. Oklahoma posted the largest net gainwith ive rigs, followed by North Dakotawithfour.Canada’srigcountincreasedbytwo net rigs for a total of 625, or 82 rigsabovetheequivalent2010count.
Rig Count by US State (w‐o‐w change, updated March 4, 2011)
2009 2010 2011
US
Can
ada
500
1000
0
200
400
260
801
970899
184
447
210
177
2 years
+2.3%
-0.8%
+18
-7
+4.9%
-9.7%
+21
-19
w-o-w change
Gas
Oil
Gas
Oil
8
8
1
4
3/4
Rig Count by Country: Oil / Gas split (Updated March 4, 2011)
Source: Baker-Hughes
PA bill targets pooling, abandoned mineral rights CourtesyGasBusinessBrie ing Twomore Pennsylvania Senate billsintroduced by Senator Gene Yaw targetforced pooling and the abandonment ofmineral rights in the Marcellus Shaleplay. The forced pooling bill, SB 447,focuses on the pooling of "holdout"companies, not landowners, who holdacreage in land units held by othercompanies, Yaw tells Gas BusinessBrie ing. "I've been told that 90% of thepooling issuesare inter‐company issues,rather than between landowners andcompanies," Yaw says. "This statuteaddressesthat." Yaw says company‐to‐companypooling also will reduce theenvironmentalimpactofdrillingbecauseitwillminimizetheamountofwellsites. SB 445 dealswith the abandonmentofmineralrights.Iftheownerofmineralrights hasn't exercised within 21 yearshis or her rights, or iled papers tocontinuetheirclaim,therightswouldgotothesurfaceowner. "We're not looking to take anythingawayfromanyone,"Yawsays. "We're inding a fair number ofsituations where someone transferredproperty rights 100 years ago butretainedmineral rights," Yaw tells GBB."It'sburied in themiddleof adeedand,100 years later, the owners don't knowwhethertheyhaveaninterest."
Quebec recommends shale moratorium The Quebec minister of sustainabledevelopment,environmentandparkswillappoint a commission to study shale gasexplorationandproductionintheCanadi‐an province as he considers recommen‐dations to haltmuchof the local activityintheindustrytowaitformoreanalysis. Inareportmadepublic lateTuesday,a Quebec government bureau recom‐mendedtheformationofthecommissionandalsostoppingallhydrofracturingnotrelatedtoascienti icstudy. Shale gas exploration that did notinvolve hydrofracturing could continueshould Minister Pierre Arcand ban thepracticependingfurtherstudy,undertherecommendations. Arcand said, that he would appointsuch a commission andweigh other ele‐mentsinthereport,whichhereceivedinFebruary.
End Use Oil & Gas cont. Canada Rig Count by Province (m‐o‐m change, updated March 4, 2011)
Associated Pipe Line Contractors Whatisit?APLC is a Houston, Texas, based firm specializing in pipeline construction and service. Itcurrentlyoperatesmorethan25,000milesofpipelinein43statesand27countries.Whatdoesthecompanydo?Thecompanyisdividedintoseveralmainoperatingdivisions:thelanddivision,whichhandlessite surveys, construction cost estimatingandactual installationof land‐basedpipelines; themarinedivision,whichhandlestheinstallationofshallow‐waterunderwaterpipelines;theArcticdivision,whichhandledmuchoftheendconstructionstagesofthetrans‐Alaskapipelinesysteminthelate1970s;therehabilitationandspecialservicedivision,whichhandlespipelinepigging,rehabilitationandotherservices;andaconstructionsupportdivision,whichbuildsassociatedairstrips,campsandothersupportstructures.Whoaresomeofthecompany’smajorclients?APLC’sclient list includesmajorenergyplayers likeElPasoNaturalGas,ChevronPipeLineCompanyandShellPipeLineCorporation,aswellasdiversifiedcompanieslikeDowChemicalCompanyandAircoCryoplantsInc.Whyisitinteresting?■ APLChascompletedpipelinesrangingfrom4‐48inchesindiameter.■ Thecompanyisresponsibleforover12,000milesofland‐basedpipelinesalone.■ The firm is currently involved in fourmajorpipelineprojects in fourUS states, totalling
almost400milesofpipeline.
For more informa on, visit:
h p://www.associatedpipeline.com/
A brief history of Associated Pipe Line
Contractors
Has currently completed more than 25,000 miles of pipeline