(by Rye Druzin, www.pipe-logix.com) US line pipe prices increased this month to $2,274/short ton (st), with domestic price increases outpacing a rise in import values. The line pipe index increased by $31/st, the second consecutive month to see prices rise and hitting the highest price since July. Domestic prices jumped by 1.9%c and import prices rose by 0.6%. The domestic all sizes ERW average price jumped by 3.1% to $1,808/st, while the all sizes seamless average price rose by 1.3% to $3,282/st. The import all sizes ERW average price fell by 0.7% to $1,364/st, while the imported seamless average pipe prices rose by 1.3% to $2,640/st. The distributor’s sentiment rose by three points this month to 56. The price outlook jumped by 17 points to a positive reading of 67, with 40% of distributors expecting prices to rise in the coming months. Oil prices were down by 3.2% in October compared to the prior month, while natural gas prices jumped by 7.1%. HRC prices rose by 1.4% sequentially in October. The average North American drilling rig count for October was down by two at 585 compared to the prior month.