A pipe of the composition specified after leaving the last hot rolling stage, is cooled from the rolling heat of a temperature in the range of 960 - 990 DEG C to room temperature at a cooling rate of 0.5 - 5 K/s and tempered without a transformation by separate hardening, at a temperature 10 - 30 K above the conventional tempering temperature for the relevant grade of steel required. The treatment is particularly suited to oilfield pipes of grade 80 or 95 ksi.
