Skids, pipe racks, tanks, catwalks and downhole tool parts all start as plate, pipe, beam and bar with paperwork attached. We source steel, alloy and stainless for oilfield fabricators across Texas, cut to size, with mill certs and heat numbers carried to the pieces when the job requires it.
Where oilfield shops lose time on material
Oilfield work moves on short notice, and a small fab shop competing for a skid job can't wait two days for a quote. Large distributors favor the big operators and EPC accounts, minimums push you into full plates and full pipe lengths, and certs sometimes show up weeks after the steel, or not at all. Then someone spends a day calling five places for one missing size of 4140.
We quote plate, pipe, structural, grating and bar together, arrange the cutting, and send certs with the material. Most quotes come back the same business day.
What oilfield fabricators typically buy
Skid bases and frames use W-shape beam and channel in structural steel, with plate in A36 or A572 Grade 50 for decks, base plates, lugs and gussets. Much plate is dual-certified to both. Pipe is usually A53 Grade B for structural and utility use and A106 Grade B seamless for process piping and higher temperatures, often dual-certified with API 5L.
Catwalks, stairs and platforms take welded bar grating, commonly 1" x 3/16" bearing bars, galvanized for outdoor service. Stainless plate in 316 covers chemical injection skids and corrosive process parts.
For downhole subs, pins, crossovers and bushings, 4140 alloy steel is the standard, bought quenched and tempered or annealed depending on whether you'll heat treat. For sour service under NACE MR0175, carbon and low-alloy steels are generally held to 22 HRC maximum, so standard 4140 pre-hard won't qualify; say so on the RFQ. Specialty alloys such as nickel alloys and duplex stainless can be sourced for severe service.
Write the RFQ the way the inspector will read it. Give the full spec with the grade: "A106 Gr B, sch 80" rather than "4 inch pipe". State whether you need MTRs, whether heat numbers must be marked on cut pieces, and any hardness limit. Material that arrives without the right paperwork can hold up a whole skid at final inspection. Our guide on how to write a metal RFQ covers the rest.
How we help
- Plate, pipe, beam, grating and alloy bar on one quote
- Mill certs with heat numbers transferred to cut pieces, including EN 10204 3.1 when specified
- Plate parts plasma cut from your DXF, pipe and beam saw cut to length
- Most quotes answered the same business day, delivered across Texas