Tenaris announced that it will build its first U.S. seamless pipe mill in Bay City, Texas. With an estimated investment of $1.5 billion, the new facility will have an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons of high-quality seamless pipe. With its proximity to Houston (Tenaris’ North American headquarters), the location offers a combination of favorable geography, operational logistics and availability of a skilled workforce. The new plant, which is expected to generate 600 direct manufacturing jobs, will strengthen the company’s local production and service capabilities to address the growing demands of the energy industry. The facility, which will be designed according to the most stringent environmental and safety standards, is expected to begin operations in 2016.