Stainless Steel Materials
BHP Billiton is the world's third largest nickel producer.
Stainless Steel Materials primarily services the stainless steel industry through its wide range of high quality nickel products. In addition, we supply nickel and cobalt to other markets including the specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory material industries.
We aim to be a leading integrated supplier of nickel through a true value offering to customers. Customer satisfaction forms the core of our business philosophy, which is supported in our operations by continuous cost improvement and world-class product quality. We aim to grow, participating in the high growth of stainless steel applications, through capital-efficient expansion and participation in new projects.
Nickel vision
To be the most capital efficient nickel producer with the highest operating margin in the world.
Products and services
We produce the following products:
- Nickel in the form of compacts both regular and high grade, high purity nickel briquettes and powders, ferronickel granules and chemical-grade nickel oxide.
- Cobalt in the form of Chemgrade cobalt oxide hydroxide and electrolytic cobalt cathodes.
From Cerro Matoso, the leading ferronickel producer in capacity terms, we offer a low carbon preferred form of nickel to the stainless steel industry. From Yabulu in Queensland, Australia, the nickel compacts have excellent shape and product integrity for automatic handling systems of stainless mills. From Nickel West in Western Australia, high purity nickel briquettes as well as nickel powders are much sought after on world markets.
Ferronickel is supplied in bulk bags or loose in containers. Nickel compacts and nickel briquettes are supplied in these forms as well as in drums.
Operations
The BHP Billiton operations that produce stainless steel materials are:
- Yabulu, Australia (100% ownership) – nickel and cobalt.
- Cerro Matoso Colombia, South America (99% ownership) – ferronickel.
- Nickel West, Australia (100% ownership) - nickel and cobalt.
Benefits
The key strengths of our offering to you are:
- The delivery of high-quality, value-added products through our cost-competitive operations and low-cost reserves.
- A geographical spread of operations to service you, no matter where you are in the world.
- Industry, technological and project development expertise.
- Our dedication to superior customer service.
We are also committed to further developing our product offering, strengthening our customer-service relationships.
For information about our Stainless Steel Materials marketing activities, see Stainless Steel Materials in Product Enquiries.
