A method for effectively providing main gas into a pool of molten metal, which is particularly useful for use in an electric arc furnace. The method employs combustion of secondary oxygen with fuel to form a flame envelope around a main gas stream which protects the main gas from entrainment of ambient gases as it passes through the headspace of the furnace. This enables the gas to retain to a substantial degree its original force upon injection into the headspace and thus may be injected into the furnace at a safe distance from the molten metal surface while still achieving substantially complete penetration into the molten metal.