OAO TMK (“ŇĚĘ”) announces that it began shipments of K60 grade large-diameter ERW 1420 mm pipes with 15.7mm -18.7mm wall thickness and designed for operating pressures of up to 75 atmospheres. The pipes will be used in the construction of Gazprom’s Pochinki-Gryazovets pipeline.

The pipes are supplied with external anti-corrosive coating, significantly extending their service life in aggressive environments and arctic conditions, and are produced by TMK’s Volzhsky Pipe Plant. Successful testing evidenced the pipes’ high performance properties and conformity to Gazprom’s technical specifications.

By September 2008, TMK will have supplied 40,000 tonnes of large-diameter pipes in accordance with Gazprom’s requirements for the Pochinki-Gryazovets project.

The Pochinki-Gryazovets pipeline will provide environmentally safe and reliable gas supplies to the central regions of Russia and will be used to transport gas from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District to the Nord Stream pipeline.