Ipsco Inc. has successfully commissioned its second pipe finishing facility at its Red Deer, Alberta Pipeworks.

The new line will double the Red Deer Work's finishing capacity for casing and line pipe, provide improved service to customers, and an improved return for shareholders.

"This second finishing line not only significantly expands our finishing capacity, it allows us to better optimize our production flows and has been designed to have the capability of processing a wide range of products," said Ipsco's Vice President and General Manager, Tubular Products, David Britten.

Construction on the new facility began this past spring and has come on stream in time to help meet the expected high demand for Ipsco's tubular products in the coming months.

"As a result of the new line, approximately 25 new employees have been hired while recruiting is underway for up to an additional 25 other workers," added Britten.

Ipsco operates steel mills at three locations and pipe mills at six locations in Canada and the United States. As a low-cost North American steel producer, Ipsco has a combined annual steelmaking capacity of 3,500,000 tons. The company's tubular facilities produce a wide range of tubular products including line pipe, oil and gas well casing and tubing, standard pipe and hollow structurals.