TPT March 2007

Industry News

Lone Star forms JV with India’s Welspun

DIARY OF TUBE EVENTS

2007

Lone Star Technologies Inc, USA, has formed a joint venture with the Welspun Group, one of India’s leading manufacturers of tubular products and textiles. The deal involves the construction of a US manufacturing facility capable of producing 300,000 net tons annually of spiral-welded tubulars in the 24-60" OD range. Named Welspun-Lone Star Tubulars LLC, the newly formed company is 40 per cent owned by Lone Star with the remaining 60 per cent stake held by Welspun Pipe Inc. Welspun Pipe is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Welspun Gujarat Stahl Rohren Ltd, Welspun’s steel pipe manufacturing arm. Lone Star will invest up to $26.4mn in the total JV operation of $66mn, with profits shared according to respective ownership stakes. The new spiral weld mill facility, which is expected to begin production by early 2008, will be located close to Lone Star’s existing customer base in the southwest United States. As a result of this transaction, Lone Star is expected to gain an entry point into the large diameter linepipe market. This market is currently experiencing strong demand due to a number of new construction projects for the natural gas transmission infrastructure. Once completed, the new facility will enable Lone Star to include spiral welded linepipe in its product range. Both the capacity and location of the spiral weld mill will position Welspun-Lone Star Tubulars within the rapidly growing North American large diameter linepipe industry. The partners expect to source high-quality steel hot roll coil for the spiral weld mill both domestically and internationally. “We have already established our US presence by supplying pipes for the laying of the world’s deepest pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The Joint Venture will enable us to strengthen that presence in the fast- growing US market, where demand for spiral pipe continues to increase,” said Mr BK Goenka, Welspun’s vice chairman and managing director. Lone Star Technologies Inc – USA Fax : +1 800 527 4615 Website : www.lonestartech.com

MARCH

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15-17 SIPPE 2007

Email : 2007@aiexpo.com.cn Website : www.sippe.com.cn

Shanghai, China Exhibition (pipelines & OCTG)

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22-25 BORU 2007

Email : info@ihlasfuar.com Website : www.ihlasfuar.com

Istanbul, Turkey Exhibition

APRIL 16-20 Messe Hannover Hannover, Germany

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Website : www.hannovermesse.com

Exhibition (including pipeline technology)

MAY

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10-12 Shanghai Steel Tube Expo Shanghai, China Exhibition

Website : www.gangguan-expo.com

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28-31 Tube Russia/Metallurgy/Wire Russia Moscow, Russia Exhibition

Email : wolfgramC@messe-duesseldorf.de Website : www.metallurgy-tube-russia.com

JUNE 18-20 Nagoya Tube 2007 (ITA) Nagoya, Japan Conference 21-24 8 th Guangzhou Intl Metal & Metallurgy Exhibition Guangzhou Province, China JULY 25-27 2 nd International Tube & Pipe Exhibition Tehran, Iran

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Email : jstp@jstp.or.jp Website : www.jstp.jp/en

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Email : julang@pub.guangzhou.gd.cn Website : www.julang.com.cn

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Email : info@amiplastics.comn Website : www.amiplastics.com

SEPTEMBER 24-26 Tube Ukraine (ITA)

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Email : info@itatube.org Website : www.tube-ukraine.com

Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine Conference

OCTOBER 02-04 Tubotech/Metaltech São Paulo, Brazil Exhibition

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Email : cipa@cipanet.com.br Website : www.cipanet.com.br

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16-18 Tube/wire Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand Exhibition

Email : tube@mda.com.sg Website : www.tube-southeastasia.com

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Non-Ferrous Bangkok (ITA Seminar) Bangkok, Thailand

Website : www.itatube.org

Emai l: conforg5@bhrgroup.com Website : www.bhrgroup.com

17-19 17 th international conference on pipeline protection Conference

NOVEMBER

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11-14 Fabtech

Email : information@fmafabtech.com Website : www.fmafabtech.com

Chicago, USA Exhibition

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13-16 Tube & Pipe Central Asia Almaty, Kazakhstan Exhibition

Email : info@expocentralasia.com Website : www.expocentralasia.com

FEBRUARY 2008 14-16 Tube India

Welspun Group – India Fax : +91 22 24908020 Website : www.welspun.com

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Email : kueppersS@messe-duesseldorf.de Website : www.messe-duesseldorf.de

New Delhi, India Exhibition

M arch /A pril 2007