Tenaris establishes company’s fifth R&D center in Rio de Janeiro

Offshore staff

RIO DE JANEIRO – Tenaris has invested $39 million in the construction of its research and development (R&D) center in Brazil’s UFRJ Technological Park in Rio de Janeiro.

Tenaris inaugurated its new R&D center on April 15. "The $39-million investment was motivated by the strategic opportunity to contribute to Brazil's technological and economic development. The immense energy reserves, such as the presalt layer, present unprecedented challenges to the industry and demand safe and efficient operations while maintaining utmost respect for the environment,” says Renato Catallini, Tenaris’ president in Brazil.

The center will mostly focus on the development and qualification of TenarisHydril premium connections and the TenarisHydril BlueDock weld-on connector, welding technologies, differentiated coatings (such as clad and organic), and on areas of study in fracture mechanics and finite elements.

Tenaris’ ongoing investment plan in Brazil reaches $370 million, and mainly focuses on the improvement of production lines for pipes, coatings, and the TenarisHydril BlueDock connector, and the service offer for oil country tubular goods (OCTG).

Tenaris has strategic partnerships with companies such as Usiminas to study offshore exploration technologies, contributing to the increase of local content in its projects in the country. One example is the X65 Sour Service Steel, designed for corrosive environments. The material was developed in partnership with a national steel producer and has been approved by Petrobras, which also participated in the project.

This is Tenaris’ fifth R&D Center worldwide; its other centers are located in Argentina, Mexico, Italy, and Japan.

04/16/2014