A study was made of the effect of high blast rates on the thermal state of the lower part of a nickel-smelting furnace. The study was carried out on an active blast furnace two tuyeres of which were specially adapted to inject oxygen-enriched air at high speeds. It is found that an increase in air injection rates in nickel-smelting blast furnaces considerably improves the thermal state of the tuyere zone by widening the active part of the furnace and increasing the temperature. Under conditions of cold blowing the dependence of the parameters of the thermal state of the tuyere zone on the blast rate has an optimum which is observed at rates from 50 to 70 m/sec.