Nickel Smelter Cutting Production

WMC Ltd., the world's No. 3 nickel miner, said a fire last month at its Kalgoorlie smelter will cut nickel output by more than 1 percent this year. The company attributed the cut to a fire at the smelter

Nickel production will fall to 66,000 metric tons in 2002, from an earlier anticipated 67,000 tons, WMC said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange. Output of semi-processed nickel, or nickel in matte, will fall to 92,000 tons from 94,000 tons.