At approximately 9.30am Melbourne time today, Tuesday 25 October 2011, New Zealand Steel was notified by Vector, (the owner of the natural gas pipeline in New Zealand's North Island), that a material rupture had been detected on the Maui pipeline. The rupture has occurred at a location a considerable distance south of New Zealand Steel's Glenbrook and Taharoa operations. As a result all industrial users of natural gas, including New Zealand Steel, were asked to cease using natural gas.