National Pipe Company (NPC), whose annual capacity stands at 430,000 tonnes, says it has targeted sales of 300,000 tonnes this year.

The Al Khobar-based company is one of the leading manufacturers of large-diameter pipes for applications such as the transmission of oil, natural gas and water and for structural use.

Capacity for helical submerged arc welded pipe is 250,000 tonnes while longitudinal pipes of various sizes account for another 180,000 tonnes of capacity.

The helical pipe production facility started commercial production in 1980 and its supplies go to Saudi Aramco, the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and many other companies across Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries.

The longitudinal pipe mill started commercial production in 2001 and is mainly aimed at meeting growing demand for heavier wall thickness pipes for natural gas transmission lines associated with the development of non-associated gas fields and the construction of gas refinery plants in Saudi Arabia and other GCC states.

UAE market

The UAE constituted the primary export market for NPC in 2008 and 2009 with the volume standing at 70,000 tonnes.

The company, which sources its raw materials from Saudi Arabia, Japan and various countries in Europe, is currently involved in the Ras Al Zawr N7430 Twin DN 1600 P/L project.

It has technical and management support from Sumitomo Metal Industries of Japan, a major shareholder in the company and leading manufacturer of steel and steel products.