BEIJING, Jun.  13 -- Jinchuan Group Co., the world's fourth largest nickel producer, expects the ongoing overhaul of its nickel flash smelter to be completed in mid-October, the company said in a notice on its website Saturday.

"We plan to resume output [sometime during] October 10-20," it said.

This is the first time since 1992 that the furnace is being halted for such major repairs, the statement said. It had developed wear-and-tear problems for some years, the company said in an earlier statement.

Jinchuan began the overhaul process on May 25.

The company still intends to produce its target of 130,000 metric tons of nickel this year despite the relatively lengthy suspension, Jinchuan earlier said.

Licensed from Finnish technology and among the first of its kind in the world when introduced at Jinchang city, Gansu province, in 1992, the furnace underwent repairs in 1998 for 57 days.