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    January 20, 2015

    Why the Energy Sector is Important to Steel

    Written by Paul Lowrey

    A lot has already been written about the dramatic decline in oil prices, the persistent high imports of energy tubulars, and related issues.  What is missing, in my opinion, is some perspective and context to pull it all together.  The purpose of this article is to show why the energy sector is so important to the steel industry.

    How big is the energy sector in steel consumption terms?  I hope to surprise more than a few of you with the answer.  The NAFTA energy sector consumes about the same amount of steel as the NAFTA automotive industry.  Think about that for a minute.  It means that energy and automotive are tied for second as the largest markets for steel after the construction market. 

    Paul Lowrey

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