U. S. Steel Starts Up New Quench and Temper Line at Lorain Pipe Mills

United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) announced today that it has begun operating a new $85 million quench and temper line at its Lorain (Ohio) Pipe Mills. Installation of the line began in December 2001 and was completed this June.

The new quench and temper line operates as part of the facility's No. 3 seamless mill and has an annual production capacity of 340,000 tons. The line is capable of heat-treating tubular products with outside diameters from 10-5/8 inches through 24 inches and with wall thicknesses up to 1.5 inches.

To improve the cost-efficiency of the heat-treating process, the line was designed to operate in-line, utilizing the residual heat the product holds following the hot-rolling process, thereby reducing the amount of energy consumed during the heat-treating of the product.

"This new addition to Lorain Pipe Mills expands our capacity and improves our product line to meet the growing and challenging needs of our energy customers," said U. S. Steel President and Chief Operating Officer John P. Surma. "It also reflects our commitment to investing in technologically advanced, cost-effective equipment for our operations, and to ensuring our ability to be a global steel competitor."

With the new line, the mill will have the ability to produce tubular goods with enhanced properties and specialized standard pipe products used for high- temperature applications, and to serve energy producers in the exploration and development market as well as the transportation market.

Lorain Pipe Mills consists of two seamless pipe mills, having a combined annual capability of more than 675,000 tons of high quality seamless pipe. Both mills are ISO and American Petroleum Institute Q1 certified.

In addition to Lorain, U. S. Steel has tubular operations in Fairfield, Ala., and McKeesport, Pa., and produces seamless tubular products with 1.9- inch to 26-inch diameters, and welded products from 8 5/8-inch to 20-inch diameters.

The statements concerning cost and quality improvements expectations are forward-looking statements. Whether such improvements are achieved will depend upon many factors, some of which are beyond the control of United States Steel Corporation. In accordance with "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, cautionary statements identifying important factors, but not necessarily all factors, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements have been included in the Form 10-K of U. S. Steel for the year ended December 31, 2002, and in subsequent filings for U. S. Steel.

SOURCE: United States Steel Corporation

CONTACT: Mike Dixon or John Armstrong, both of United States Steel
Corporation, +1-412-433-6870

Web site: http://www.ussteel.com/

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