The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for several years led the attack on the "Gazprom", demanding to remove intermediaries in the supply of large diameter pipes (LDP), had complained to President Vladimir Putin, but in recent years has dried up the flow of claims.

As follows from the procurement site, trading companies LLC "Pipe innovative technologies" (TIT) Ivan Shabalova concluded with "Gazprom" for the last 12 months of contracts by 57.7 billion rubles, and in just three years -. To RUR 90.8 billion . This is mainly on the supply of large diameter pipes and parts for trunk pipelines, which corresponds to a fifth of the total volume of "Gazprom" purchases for these items.

TITUS manage to stay afloat and retain its role as the main supplier of pipes for the gas monopoly, although the company itself does not produce the pipe, thus producing newcomers to the pool of suppliers of "Gazprom" can not get through. Ivan Shabalov declined to discuss the relationship with FAS: behind the conflict.

Ten years with "Gazprom"

Historically, that the LDP needed mainly for the main laboroprovodov, made either at Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant (Ukraine) or in foreign countries. But double-seam Khartsyzsk pipes are not suitable for the northern gas pipelines and large diameter pipes have been producing Russian metallurgists. Today, due to a conflict with Ukraine and the construction of gas pipeline "Power of Siberia" for gas supplies to China happened import substitution appeared could not be more timely. Since 2000, private companies have invested in the production of pipes 400 billion rubles.

In 2005, Ivan Shabalov created Eurotube trading company, it has imported large-diameter pipes in Russia, buying them from German company Europipe, as well as the Franco-German company Vallourec & Mannesmann Tubes. In Shabalova was 50% in the trader, another 50% - from the natives of Mannesmann Valdemar sadness and Klaus Raermana. In 2007 Shabalov sold its stake in Eurotube brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg. If up to 2012 imported LDP, now almost 100% of the pipes produced in Russia. "Gazprom" is no longer dependent on foreign suppliers of pipe products, "- he said at a meeting of shareholders of the company to its head Alexei Miller in July 2013 Eurotube could not be found "To" include "Gazprom" bidders for the last three years. At the same time, the largest producer of pipes, the German company Europipe, received 40% of Gazprom's orders for large diameter pipes for the gas pipeline Nord Stream 2. In 60% of the offshore gas pipeline will be provided by the pipes of Russian companies - Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant (ChTPZ) and United Metallurgical Company (OMK) - that for them a source of pride, so they had to make special pipes that are resistant to extreme pressure and corrosive marine environments.

In the 2007-2014 years. the supply of large diameter pipes and trading companies engaged in "North European Pipe Project" (SETP), which also created Shabalov, SETP co-founders were manufacturers LDP - OMK, TMK, "Severstal" and ChTPZ. Then 60% of traders also sold Shabalov brothers Rothenberg. Through SETP it went up to 70% for purchases of pipes of "Gazprom". The FAS held SETP antitrust investigation activities, as a result of the share in the SETP supply has been reduced, and Rotenberg came out of this business. In 2014, SETP was eliminated.

Almost simultaneously,with two large traders Shabalov in 2006 established the TIT. TITUS main customer in the last three years - LLC "Gazprom equipment", a wholly-owned "daughter" of "Gazprom". TITUS delivers "Gazprom" LDP since 2006

Shabalov friends with metallurgists - he joined them in the Association of manufacturers of pipes even in 2004 and created the "Gazprom" supply circuit pipes with key manufacturers such as the Pipe Metallurgical Company (TMK) Dmitry Pumpyansky, OMK Anatoly Sedykh, "Severstal" Alexey Mordashov ChTPZ Andrei Komarov, through intermediary traders. And now they all win in "Gazprom" trades. Newcomers get into this private club is very difficult. So, the new company "Zagorski Pipe Plant" (ZTZ) in Sergiev Posad district makes the LDP in the modern Swiss equipment, but its application "Gazprom" rejects. "We do not understand why" Gazprom "for the fifth month does not allow us to his trading. Our pipes received a positive opinion in the Gazprom VNIIGAZ, they buy big oil companies - "Rosneft", "Surgut State Universityutneftegaz "," Lukoil "," Russneft "," Sibur "- and these pipes are connected to a common pipeline" Gazprom "system - is perplexed CEO ZTZ Denis Safin.

Not only the pipe

Ivan Shabalov not only sells pipes: he co-owner of the trade "Pervomayskaya" center in Moscow, on the 9th Park Street (the area - 27 700 sq m.). Other co-owners of "Pervomayskaya" - Cyprus offshore "Sentiero Investments", which belongs to the holding company "Kivennapa" (building cottages in the Leningrad region). Even the businessman has an office and apartment of 4000 square meters. m in the residential complex "Legend of Tsvetnoy", built Capital Group.

Scientist and mutilation

According to "Kontur.Fokus" service, the volume of Gazprom's orders TIT from February 2013 to currently 90.8 billion rubles. During this time, TIT has participated in "Gazprom" competitions for a total of 416.1 billion rubles. Major purchases - 57.7 billion rubles. - Occurred in the last 12 months.

In the competitions of "Gazprom equipment" in the last three years involving Headsmanner the same company - TITUS, TMK, Izhora Pipe Plant (ITZ is included in "Severstal" Alexei Mordashov), JSC "Vyksa Steel Works" (VSW, part of OMK), ChTPZ. This follows from the analysis of public procurement carried out by "Kontur.Fokus". Four participants - the main producers of large diameter pipes in Russia. ChTPZ share on the Russian market - 25%, from TMK - 18%, at OMK (Vyksa) - 35%; ASI does not disclose its share. The presence of this "big pipe club" can cause suspicions of collusion of its members, but the specific charges in the creation of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the cartel and could not show anyone.

The TITUS argue that supply pipe at a wholesale price, rejecting accusations of FAS in the 20-30 generation of fake interest. Indeed, profitability Shabalova business is not very high: at the TIT on revenue of 63.5 billion rubles. in 2015. Net income - total 304.2 million rubles. But it was not always so: in 2011 the net profit of the supplier pipe exceeded 2.1 billion rubles. on revenue of 26.7 billion rubles. According to estimates by Oleg Peter and Paul, BCS analyst TIT margin business in 2015 was at around 0.25%, while it ChTPZ achievementala 14%. "14% - this is the usual margins for steelmakers, refiners", - he said. Profitability was calculated as the ratio of operating profit to revenue.

The difference in the yield of "Gazprom" a significant supplier of business, the fact is that the very TIT produces neither pipe nor details to pipelines, and now it is the only company - member of the club LDP suppliers to "Gazprom", which is not the manufacturer. This was the basis for the FAS investigation.

Why "Gazprom" continues to use TIT services? Neither the monopoly or suppliers of pipe or pipe industry development fund to this question is not answered. Mikhail Korchemkin, analyst at East European Gas Analysis (Pennsylvania, USA), says that although the LDP producers in Russia can be counted on the fingers of one hand, "Gazprom" could easily order and buy the pipe directly.

Igor Girich, owner of TD "Keyespi Steel" (supplier of "Gazprom"), commented on the relationship of the gas monopoly, and TITUS: "The company works with a wide range of products -except pipes, bends it, the equipment, that is, what one manufacturer to deliver, as a rule, can not, and of service. "

TIT possible to negotiate with the manufacturers on the supply pipe, but they sacrifice their market share. On the origin of pipes TIT prefer not to. The ChTPZ and OMC "Co" confirmed that the supply pipe TITUS, refusing to disclose details. One of the suppliers of pipes for TIT - JSC "Trubodetal" of the Chelyabinsk region, part of OMK. In contrast to the TIT, which operates at a profit, the "Trubodetal" - a net loss in 2015 amounted to 1.1 billion rubles. OMK delivery TIT refused to comment.

TITUS sued the FAS, which in 2014-2015 gg. subjected the total inspection of all Ivan Shabalova. The Head of FAS Igor Artemyev described the relationship of "Gazprom" and TITUS: "Operation procurement of pipes when the mediator appears similar to the self-mutilation -" Gazprom "bought a tube is much more expensive than I could. I believe that this mutilation, which is detrimental both to the "Gazprom" and the state. Napisaletter and Miller, and Zubkov, I'm informed that the works of their management. I believe that such people should not work in "Gazprom", - said Artemev reporters "Interfax" in September last year. TITUS lost the court, but retained for the delivery of "Gazprom".

Partners TIT opinion Artemyev, apparently, do not share - at least, none of the main producers of pipes does not refuse to work with Shabalova. In Trubnikov good results - so, ChTPZ's net profit in 2015 increased almost six-fold, from ASI - more than twice. Vyksa Steel Works in 2015 showed a net profit of about 10 billion rubles. (Last year was recorded a loss of 3.6 billion rubles.). Pipe business, despite the crisis and sanctions, is growing. Demand for large diameter pipes increased by 770 thousand tons (+ 30%) in relation to 2014 and amounted to 3.3 million tons, according to a report ChTPZ. This year, the LDP often purchased "for the reconstruction of the gas transportation system of the company, in particular, for the construction of gas pipelines" Ukhta - Torzhok-2 "and" Power of Siberia "- explain in" Gazprom ". In 2016, the annual shipment volume of large diameter pipes can reach more than 2 million tons and in 2017 - about 316 million tons.

In the "Gazprom" to the question "To" about the reasons for cooperation with IFT after the FAS accused of vendor-intermediary in overpricing, said: "The company works with manufacturers and traders from the tube. Purchases of "Gazprom" are open, they can participate in all comers. " That is, the gas monopoly does not share the attitude of FAS to the situation with the prices and do not see anything wrong in working with intermediaries.

Ivan Shabalov himself does not consider his company ordinary seller, he calls her engineering. TITUS not only supplies the pipe, its experts are involved in the development of new varieties of steel pipe, including the gas pipeline "Power of Siberia". This pipeline will be in areas of active tectonic faults, or near areas with seismicity of more than eight points. For such areas require special pipes with improved deformation ability (high strength, good toughness and ductility, weldability and corrosion resistance). Shabalova team together with scientists from VNIIGAZ calculated mathematicscal model of such pipes, and four plants - ASI, VSW, TMK and ChTPZ - already released a test batch.

Shabalov - a specialist in metallurgy, he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys, led by "Russian Chrome" and Orsk-Khalilov metkombinatom. Shabalov recently established Centre of Expertise of pipeline systems and engineering, who led the former general director Vitaly MOTORIN ITZ. Shabalov, according, to "Kontur.Fokus" - co-owner of "Pipe coating and technology" (through an investment holding company "Continent"), which is concreted pipes for Gazprom's Volzhsky Pipe Plant. Production started in 2015. But this does not explain the finding of TIT in the five largest suppliers of "Gazprom". If winners of competitions gas monopoly were chosen from among the developers and steel pipes, that were supposed to enter here and VNIIGAZ, and the Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy.