Jubail Energy Services Company [JESCO], a subsidiary of Riyadh based Industrialization & Energy Services Company [TAQA], placed an order with Danieli for the supply of the first seamless tube plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Danieli Centro Tube [DCT] - a division of Danieli - is in charge of the construction of this new plant. It will be installed on a complete turnkey basis in Al-Jubail.

The hot rolling mill is an essential component of the completely new tube plant. The layout includes a 14" FQM-mill (3-roll continuous rolling mill with retained mandrel) as well as an extractor and a sizing mill, both in 3-roll design. After its completion, the new plant will be capable of producing up to 400,000 t/a of high quality seamless tubes within the range of 139 to 365 mm diameter in accordance with international standards to be applied in the oil industry.

Within the framework of the existing cooperation agreement with DCT, Kocks will be responsible for the process, design layout, manufacturing, supply and commissioning of the 3-stand extractor and the 10 stand sizing mill. Both mills are equipped with separate drives for every roll. The 3-roll stands are designed for a nominal roll diameter of 650 mm. The extractor operates with non-adjustable stands only, whereas the sizing mill with both stand types non-adjustable and adjustable ones.

Important characteristics are the quick stand changing system, the in-line remote controlled pass adjustment for the adjustable stands as well as the quick roll changing system in the roll shop, which is similar to the 3-roll reducing & sizing blocks [RSB] operating in wire rod and bar mills.

The process automation systems and the computer program Tumicon are also part of the scope of supply. The Tumicon-system includes the calculation of the pass design and optimum setup values (e.g. motor speed) as well as a management tool for rolls and stands. A highly dynamic open and closed loop system for quality optimisation with functions for wall thickness control and for minimization of heavy ends is also included. These components are completed by a system, that allows the operator to visualize the technological controls as well as the measured values from the rolling mill (wall thickness, heavy ends, etc.).

Commissioning of the new seamless pipe plant and start up of commercial production is scheduled for the end of 2008.