Largest Corrosion Expertise Lab, Maxmill Project, Brazil is Brimming with Innovative Projects
Last week was marked by the inauguration of major strategic projects at Vallourec South America, in the presence of Philippe Guillemot, the Group’s CEO, and Bertrand Frischmann, the Group’s COO. Along with André Larcerda, Senior Vice President of South America for Tubes, and other leaders, they visited several Brazilian units to celebrate the successful completion of flagship innovating initiatives that will actively contribute to achieving the objectives of the New Vallourec plan. actively contribute to achieving the objectives of the New Vallourec plan. Brazil holds a special place in Vallourec’s transformation, and this visit was a reminder of why.
Monday, January 13th
Inauguration of the New Corrosion Lab at Barreiro
The highlight of Monday was the inauguration of the new Corrosion Lab at Barreiro operations. Thanks to a significative investment, the quality and capacity of testing have increased significantly, making it the largest Corrosion Lab in the world according to NACE* standards. The upgrades guarantee the Group’s capability to fully meet the requirements of the most demanding norms and client specifications. The Group also carried out Safety visits to Barreiro’s Forge and VTI.
Tuesday, January 14th
MaxiMill Project in Jeceaba
On Tuesday, the group visited Jeceaba to see the Pelletizing plant and celebrate the conclusion of the MaxiMill project. This project enabled the implementation of a series of changes in various production lines in Jeceaba, ranging from the rolling mill and Q&T to the threading and finishing lines. These changes expanded Vallourec South America’s product mix and increased the production capacity of pipes’ external diameter from 16” (406 mm) to 18 5/8” (473 mm).
Wednesday, January 15th
Strategic Meetings
Wednesday’s focus was on meeting with South America’s leaders to consolidate the 2024 results and share the challenges and objectives outlined for 2025.
Thursday, January 16th
Mining Unit Visit
On Thursday, the team visited the Mining unit to check on initiatives that will improve operations and expand LOM. One key initiative is the Ore Sorter Project, which helps identify the metal of interest in each rock particle of the ore and mechanically separates it from the particles with no value.
This week has been extremely productive, demonstrating that Vallourec in Brazil is now more than ready to successfully tackle any challenge.
*NACE International is a global reference in the development of corrosion prevention and control standards, certification and education.
