Steelmakers from Australia, India and Austria are planning to establish a joint venture to set up a seamless tube facility in Australia. Australia’s Boulder Steel, Indian Seamless Metal Tubes Ltd and Breitenfield Group signed the agreement to set up the mill Ipswich, Queensland. The project includes building a 350,000 tpy EAF steelmaking and seamless tube facility. The financial closure is expected to be reached by mid 2006. Construction will take approximately 2 years and it is expected that the facility will be put into production by the end of 2008. The plant will produce 110mm to 300mm diameter pipe of varying thicknesses to supply for the oil and gas sector, boiler manufacture and chemicals industry. (Dec. 16)