Abstract: A cored wire injection with a filling of iron oxide and mineral carbonate provides an improved method and apparatus for increasing and maintaining dissolved oxygen in the steelmaking process, while also providing a method for forming carbon dioxide for stirring and carbon oxidation in the molten steel bath. The method and apparatus are particularly useful for low carbon steel production by lowering the tap oxygen content in the furnace and preventing high amounts of iron oxide in the slag. Injecting a cored wire containing a mineral carbonate in the ladle after the furnace melting process provides sources of oxygen and a method of stirring the steel and reducing the partial pressure of CO needed to lower the carbon content.