ArcelorMittal will supply some 15,000 tonnes of clad plate to aid one of the largest and toughest oil projects of the last 30 years.

The Kashagan offshore oilfield in Kazakhstan faces extreme weather conditions, including sea ice and temperatures ranging from -35°C to 40°C, and is believed to have recoverable reserves of around 13 billion barrels of crude oil.

Discovered in the 1990s, the Kashagan oilfield is located deep below Kazakhstan’s territorial waters in the Caspian Sea. Extracting the oil requires several tens of kilometres of tubes made of highly specialised, high-tech steels, which few steel producers in the world are able to produce.

ArcelorMittal was selected thanks to its technical expertise, knowledge of materials and industrial experience. Its clad metal will be used to upgrade and adapt existing production facilities at the oilfield to meet the project’s stringent technical requirements, setting a benchmark for major oil and gas projects around the world.

The clad plate will be provided by Industeel Creusot in France, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, which specialises in steels for sectors including nuclear, chemical, mining and quarrying.

“We are delighted about our involvement in this project, which showcases how Industeel is meeting the challenge of producing ever more technologically demanding products”, commented Vincent Pairet, CEO of Industeel.

He added: “We are continuously working to improve our products and adapt them to the specific applications of our customers”.

ArcelorMittal recently announced a multi-million Euro investment at Le Creusot, testifying its belief that the plant will be a key partner in important oil and gas projects, worldwide.