Whyalla furnace problems disrupt production at OneSteel
A malfunction of the blast furnace at Australian steel producer OneSteel's Whyalla plant in southern
Australia is expected to cause a loss of roughly 35'000 tons of crude steel. According to market sources the malfunction is stated to have been caused by a build-up of material inside the blast furnace, which is disrupting iron flow and causing metal contamination. However the problem is expected to be solved by early next week.
Officials from OneSteel announced that the disruption is not expected to have a material financial impact on the company, nor is it expected to affect the company's ability to meet market demand.
The blast furnace experienced similar problems in 1990 and 1997 and the same methods of repair are being utilized to ensure a timely return to normal function.