PAO TMK : TMK showcases its large diameter pipe production capacity for the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline to the Russian Energy Minister and the Pakistani Minister of Economy

25.11.2021 TMK showcases its large diameter pipe production capacity for the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline to the Russian Energy Minister and the Pakistani Minister of Economy

TMK, the Russian Ministry of Energy and the government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan met to discuss collaboration on the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project. As part of the seventh meeting, of the Russian-Pakistani Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Pumpyanskiy, Chairman of TMK's Board of Directors, Nikolay Shulginov, Russia's Minister of Energy, and Omar Ayub Khan, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, visited Chelyabinsk Pipe Plant (Chelpipe), part of TMK.

Alexey Texler, Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region, was also part of the delegation. The guests visited Vysota 239, Europe's largest shop producing large-diameter pipe. Pakistan's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs praised Chelpipe's capabilities highly, noting the plant's strengths in innovation and its unique manufacturing culture. At the end of the visit, the delegation members left their signatures on the first large-diameter pipe produced for the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline.

The pipeline will link LNG terminals in the Pakistani southern ports of Karachi and Gwadar with power plants and commercial customers in the Kasur District (Punjab) in the north. Spanning over 1,100 km, the pipeline is expected to have an annual capacity of up to 12.3 billion cubic meters. The intergovernmental agreement for the project between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was signed in October 2015 and provides for the use of Russia's best materials, technologies and services to guarantee the high performance of the pipeline.

Nikolay Shulginov, Russia's Minister of Energy, said:

"I am amazed by the high level of pipe manufacturing, the advanced automation and the strict product quality control. Russia is almost 100% self-sufficient in pipe and tubular products for its energy industry. About 11 million tonnes of pipe are produced annually, with more than half of this amount used in the oil and gas sector and about 88% represented by innovative seamless pipe. As Russia is tapping its hard-to-reach oil reserves, we need to meet the demand for innovative products in the domestic market. I think TMK is ready to supply these products." .

Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs of Pakistan, said: "It was a great honor and pleasure for me to visit Chelpipe, which does not look like your ordinary steel plant, with its latest technology, cleanliness and highest manufacturing standards. My compliments to Mr Pumpyanskiy and the TMK team. The Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project, which is very important for Pakistan, is now in its final preparation stages. It is worth noting that Russia is at the cutting edge of trunk pipeline construction technology. This is why we are collaborating with the Russian Government and Russian companies like TMK to ensure a prosperous future for Pakistan."

Alexey Texler, Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region, said: "Chelpipe is a leading global manufacturer, and I am very pleased that we are welcoming our international guests from Pakistan here today. This visit signals that the pipe manufactured from our metal will be supplied to new major pipeline projects, in particular in Pakistan. Of course, we are happy that the pipe and tubular products manufactured in Chelyabinsk are in demand, as this also means increased demand for MMK metal, support for local jobs, and new investments and taxes. I would like to thank the management team of TMK, the Russian Ministry of Energy, and all our partners for making this visit possible and for their efforts to establish new partnerships." .

Dmitry Pumpyanskiy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TMK, said: "The project to construct a gas pipeline linking the south and the north of Pakistan to secure gas supply for the domestic market was approved as part of the intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Pakistan, and we are very grateful to the intergovernmental commission chairmen representing our two countries, Mr Nikolay Shulginov, Russian Minister of Energy, and Mr Omar Ayub Khan, Pakistan's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs. The intergovernmental commission will be responsible for handling the matters related to launching the project activities and signing relevant agreements. The Russian participants of the project, including TMK, will be shareholders in the legal entity being established in Pakistan to implement the project: they will be involved in selecting materials, including pipe products, and the construction contractor, holding stakes in this new entity," .

With its high level of engineering capabilities and advanced production capacities, TMK is involved in major infrastructure projects in Russia and internationally. Pipeline projects implemented in recent years and involving various TMK plants as pipe suppliers include the Power of Siberia, Zapolyarye-Purpe, the Samantepe gas pipeline in Uzbekistan, and TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India).