NICKEL PRODUCTION – PT Inco cuts 1M lb/week after fire

INDONESIA - A transformer room fire at its No.2 furnace has forced PT INTERNATIONAL NICKEL INDONESIA to cut nickel matte production by as much as 1 million lb/week. There were no injuries, although some of the fire fighters were examined at hospital afterwards. The No.2 furnace will run at reduced output for seven or eight weeks

The company is investigating the cause and consequences of the fire. It is also working with its customers to limit the impact of reduced matte production on their operations.

There are four furnaces at the smelter, which together were budgeted to produce 167 million lb of nickel in 2006.

A technical paper about the development and operation of the electric furnaces at PT Inco is posted on the HATCH GROUP website, www.Hatch.ca. Search for "PT Inco".