April 12, 2016, Plymouth, UK – Precision tube manufacturer Fine Tubes has been granted approval by India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) to supply instrumentation tubing for offshore applications. The approval was secured with the assistance of a dedicated local agent, and as a result, Fine Tubes will now be able to tender for all relevant ONGC contracts. While the current approval covers offshore applications only, there are plans to secure similar approvals for onshore projects.

Indian oil and gas is a key strategic market for Fine Tubes and its US-based sister business, Superior Tube. Both tube mills are part of AMETEK Specialty Metal Products, a division of AMETEK, Inc. The businesses recently appointed Rahul Gujar as National Sales Manager for India. He is responsible for developing business opportunities across the country.

ONGC, under the administrative control of India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, is India’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company, producing some 70% of its crude oil and approximately 60% of its natural gas. It is India’s only fully integrated petroleum producer, operating along the entire hydrocarbon value chain, and, with a market capitalisation of over INR 2 trillion, is among India's most valuable publicly traded companies.

“This ONGC approval opens up opportunities that previously had been unavailable to us. It represents an important step in our strategy to expand our oil and gas business in the world’s major growth regions.” Comments Nicholas Head, Global Business Development Manager, Oil and Gas.

Fine Tubes has over 70 years of experience in producing high-performance tubes. Its tubing engineers have worked closely with the world’s most prominent oil and gas suppliers to develop tubular solutions in a range of corrosion-resistant, stainless steel, nickel alloy and titanium grades for extended product life and reduced maintenance costs in hostile environments.

Fines Tubes has supplied specialist tubing for recent oil and gas projects, including the development of fields in the North Sea, Norway, Nigeria, Australia and in a number of – Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the Middle East.

Established 70 years ago, Fine Tubes is a leading metal tubing manufacturer with its headquarters and production facilities in Plymouth, UK, and sales offices in Germany (Meerbusch), France (Orléans), India (Mumbai) and the United States (Collegeville), as well as several agents across the globe. The company manufactures both seamless and welded tubes in a wide range of stainless steel, nickel, titanium and zirconium alloys, for critical applications in the oil and gas, nuclear and power, aerospace, chemicals and medical equipment industries.