SLN smelter in Noumea New Caledonia Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel
There has been another fire at the nickel mine in Kouaoua in New Caledonia.
Media reports say it was the thirteenth attack this year on the mine's conveyor belt system which feeds nickel ore to the coast for shipping to the SLN smelter in Noumea.
This comes as the site has again been blockaded since late last week.
It had been closed for more than two months from August but an agreement had been reached in late October for the site to resume operations.
The Kouaoua mine provides about 40 percent of the ore for the SLN smelter.
The earlier blockade is estimated to have incurred SLN losses of almost $US20 million.
SLN ship entering Noumea harbour Photo: RNZ Walter Zweifel