Proving that where there’s natural gas there’s pipe (and economic development), steel tubular manufacturer TMK IPSCO said Tuesday it’s setting up a manufacturing facility to produce threaded pipe for Marcellus Shale infrastructure. The facility will be near Youngstown, OH, which has seen its fortunes decline with the weakening of America’s steel industry.

“As a company, we go where our customers need us and the Brookfield, OH, facility is in direct response to the growing need for infrastructure within the Marcellus Shale and for full-service premium and API [American Petroleum Institute] threading field service and threaded accessories to be located in close proximity to our customers’ well sites,” said TMK IPSCO CEO Vicki Avril.

The facility, which should begin operations during the second quarter, will have an annual capacity of up to 100,000 tons of threaded pipe. Initial employment will be approximately 50 people, with long-term employment levels expected to reach 120. The Brookfield site is approximately 40 miles northwest of TMK IPSCO’s steel mill in Koppel, PA.

“Each shale play we enter is unique in its requirements, and with the opening of the new Brookfield facility, TMK IPSCO will introduce new products that are specifically designed for the drilling activity taking place within the Marcellus Shale,” said TMK IPSCO’s Scott Barnes, chief commercial officer.

TMK IPSCO operates in North America as a division of TMK, one of the largest pipe producers in Russia and one of the three global market leaders. TMK produces steel pipes for the oil and gas industry. The company operates 21 production sites in Russia, the United States, Romania and Kazakhstan.

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