OREANDA-NEWS. March 5, 2008. OAO Severstal’s Izhorsky Trubny Zavod (“Izhora Pipe Plant”) has become the first Russian pipe manufacturer to have its products certified for compliance with Gazprom’s Specifications for the Bovanenkovo-Ukhta pipeline system.

The Izhora Pipe Plant has been certified for compliance with Gazprom’s Specifications for 120 atm working pressure pipes. The Izhora plant is the only pipe manufacturer in the world able to produce pipes of such quality. Deliveries are set to start in May or June of 2008.

The Specifications are a set of mandatory rules the plant must follow to manufacture and deliver pipes to the Bovanenkovo-Ukhta project.

Izhora Pipe Plant’s General Director Oleg Urnev said: “The specifications applying to pipes to be used in this project are among the most stringent in the industry, due to such extreme climate conditions. We are pleased to announce that, with assistance from Severstal’s Cherepovets Steel Works, which produces unique rolled steel for us, Izhora Pipe Plant has become the first pipe maker to be able to use a technology for manufacturing this complex product mix, enabling us to guarantee supplies to Gazprom.”