Research and Development

Our commitment to innovation delivers the latest advances in tubulars and connections.

Research is at the heart of everything we do at U. S. Steel Tubular Products. For more than 100 years, our customers have relied on us to bring them the newest materials and best products.

From the U. S. Steel Buttress Thread, which was adopted as an API standard for the entire oil and gas industry in 1961, to the USS-LIBERTY TC® premium connection designed for even the most challenging extended–reach drilling scenarios, U. S. Steel’s sophisticated steelmaking processes and cutting-edge tubular products reflect more than a century of research and innovation.

Facilities Dedicated to Research and Development

Committed to staying at the forefront of major advances, chemical analysis, and steelmaking, U. S. Steel opened its first research laboratory nearly 90 years ago in New Jersey. Through our research and development facilities, we strive to serve our customers by improving existing products, developing new ones, and analyzing product issues.

Research and Technology Center – Munhall, Pennsylvania

Leading experts from across the steel industry come together to apply advanced technology to premier product development. The Center houses a multidisciplinary technical library, full microscopy facilities, materials testing laboratories and development facilities that simulate all aspects of steel production.

Company researchers in three groups – process technology, product technology, and emerging technology – create a multidisciplinary research team that brings its expertise to every aspect of the process of steelmaking. This interdisciplinary approach gives our researchers the multiple perspectives needed to understand the real-world demands that our products must meet.

Under their guidance, forensic metallurgy and failure analysis supply valuable lessons about tubular steel performance, quality assurance and sustainability. Thanks to our researchers, U. S. Steel Tubular Products employs efficient, reliable and environmentally sound practices in all facets of its business.

The Research and Technology Center works closely with three other U. S. Steel research facilities, U. S. Steel Tubular Products’ headquarters in Houston is also home to a world-class product development team that is continually working to deliver industry leading tubular innovations.

As North America’s largest integrated tubular products manufacturer, U. S. Steel Tubular Products is committed to the development of new tubular technology, especially for meeting the challenges of unconventional resource drilling.

Landmark Advances and Industry Leading Tubular Innovations

Our ongoing research and development initiatives allows us to offer our customers:

  • Steel Customization: We are focused on the customization of our tubular products. By working closely with our customers from concept to completion, we develop the best steel and the best tubular products for the most demanding or specialized circumstances. Our research team anticipates developments in the field and devises innovative processes and products to answer the need.
  • Drilling Solutions: We work hard to develop solutions for today’s drilling environments. The USS-EAGLE SFH® premium connection is designed for horizontal and clearance critical wells. It is U. S. Steel Tubular Products’ first semi-flush connection capable of handling the stresses of contemporary drilling applications with maximum torque capacity.
  • No-Fail Products: We develop products that won’t break under pressure. Deep water drilling for oil and natural gas has driven demand for tubular products capable of handling sour gas drilling wells. U. S. Steel has helped to develop the API and ISO standards for sour service grade C110 steel , the highest API/ISO minimum yield strength material commercially available and specifically intended for mild sour service. For deeper or higher pressure wells beyond the capability of C110, U. S. Steel offers a fresh solution: C125 grade casing, which is manufactured to 125 ksi minimum yield strength and tested to the similar high standards stipulated by API C110.