19th Oct 2005 07:00
Rio Tinto PLC19 October 2005 Third quarter 2005 operations review • The strong operational performance of the first half of the year continued through the third quarter with most operations producing at, or near, capacity. • Hamersley shipped record volumes of iron ore. Two shipments were loaded from the new shiploader at Dampier and the Yandicoogina capacity expansion to 36 million tonnes per year was completed. Robe produced record volumes with the expansion of West Angelas capacity to 25 million tonnes per year completed. • Kennecott Utah Copper focussed on higher molybdenum grade ore at the expense of mined copper production, to take advantage of the strong market for molybdenum. Third quarter molybdenum production was 21 per cent higher than the record second quarter. Refined copper production returned to normal following the smelter maintenance shut-down in the second quarter. • Production of both copper and gold from the Grasberg mine was significantly higher than in the comparative period of 2004 when the operations were ramping-up following the recovery from the 2003 material slippage. • Year to date alumina production was 42 per cent above the first nine months of 2004. Third quarter alumina production was seven per cent lower than the second quarter of 2005. Production from the Comalco Alumina Refinery was adversely affected by a maintenance shut-down brought forward from the fourth quarter. The Boyne Island, Tiwai Point and Bell Bay aluminium smelters all produced record volumes. • In September, Rio Tinto approved its 40 per cent share of the development costs of the Cortez Hills gold project in Nevada. All currency figures in this report are US dollars unless otherwise stated. IRON ORE Rio Tinto share of production (000 tonnes) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Hamersley 22,183 +12% -3% 63,685 +18%Robe River 7,341 +8% +13% 20,402 +5%IOC (pellets and concentrate) 2,292 +629% -7% 6,764 +51% Demand remained strong for all products in all markets, underlined by the moveby POSCO to renew long term sales contracts ahead of their expiry. Hamersley Hamersley continued to produce at near-record levels during the quarter andsales were a quarterly record. Expansion work at Yandicoogina was completed this quarter, taking nameplatecapacity to 36 million tonnes per year. Port expansion work at Dampier remainedon track for completion in the fourth quarter, with two shipments of fines oreloaded from the new shiploader in early September. Robe River Robe produced a record 13.9 million tonnes this quarter, and shipped 13.7million tonnes. Expansion work at West Angelas was completed this quarter, taking nameplatecapacity to 25 million tonnes per year, coinciding with shipment of the 50millionth tonne of West Angelas ore from Cape Lambert in September. Iron Ore Company of Canada Following record production in the first half of 2005, production in the thirdquarter was marginally below the second quarter due to the timing ofmaintenance. Production in the third quarter of 2004 was affected by a ten weeklabour dispute. ENERGY US thermal coalRio Tinto share of production (000 tonnes) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Kennecott Energy 28,290 -7% -2% 86,446 -0% Third quarter production was marginally below that of the second quarter. Asanticipated, shipments were constrained by maintenance on the third party railline which is expected to continue through the fourth quarter. More than amillion tonnes of production from Cordero Rojo was lost as adverse weatherconditions resulted in spoil pile instability for a period of six weeks. Yearto date production is in line with the corresponding period of 2004 reflectinggrowth in production at Jacobs Ranch mine and strong demand for the higherenergy coals of Spring Creek. Australian coalRio Tinto share of production (000 tonnes) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Rio Tinto Coal Australia Hard coking coal 1,755 -15% -10% 5,610 +4% Other coal 7,996 -9% +10% 23,287 -6% Although the queue management system at Dalrymple Bay and the capacity balancingsystem at Newcastle continue to manage effectively the vessel queues at thoseports, shipments, and hence production, from the Australian operations continuedto be constrained by port and rail capacity. Production of hard coking coal reflects lower production from Kestrel due tomining through unstable ground conditions. Production at Kestrel had returnedto normal by the end of the quarter. INDUSTRIAL MINERALS Rio Tinto share of production (000 tonnes) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Borates 141 -8% -4% 409 -4%Titanium dioxide feedstock 327 +11% -0% 976 +12% Production of borates was below both the preceding quarter and the correspondingquarter of 2004 reflecting the timing of maintenance. Titanium dioxidefeedstock production at QIT and RBM was similar to the preceding quarter butwell above the corresponding period of 2004. QIT's Upgraded Slag (UGS)expansion completed its ramp-up to 325,000 tonnes in line with the commissioningschedule and a further capacity expansion to 375,000 tonnes at a capital cost of$79 million was approved in October 2005. This will come on stream in late2006. ALUMINIUM Rio Tinto share of production (000 tonnes) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Rio Tinto Aluminium Bauxite 3,781 +20% +3% 10,898 +15% Alumina 725 +37% -7% 2,214 +42% Aluminium 216.6 +3% +2% 638.1 +2% Bauxite production continued to increase following the earlier completion of theNeWeipa mine expansion. The new Comalco Alumina Refinery produced 191,000 tonnes in the quarter,37,000 tonnes below the preceding quarter. The commissioning scheduleincorporates a number of maintenance shut-downs, one of which was broughtforward from the fourth quarter to implement commissioning modifications toimprove plant performance. Both Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) andEurallumina continued to experience good process stability. Production from QALwas marginally below the record production of the second quarter. Productionfrom Eurallumina was in line with the preceding quarters. All aluminium smelters continued to produce at, or near, capacity. All exceptAnglesey Aluminium achieved record quarterly production. COPPER Rio Tinto share of production Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Kennecott Utah Copper Mined copper (000 tonnes) 50.2 -21% -11% 169.0 -11% Refined copper (000 tonnes) 68.1 +8% +64% 166.8 -10% Molybdenum (000 tonnes) 3.9 +170% +21% 11.0 +177% Mined gold (000 ozs) 96 +24% -4% 315 +46% Refined gold (000 ozs) 92 +24% +22% 258 +11%Escondida Mined copper (000 tonnes) 101.7 +16% +8% 280.7 +4%Grasberg JV Mined copper (000 tonnes) 23.6 +157% +7% 71.3 +197% Mined gold (000 ozs) 122 +447% -13% 422 +784% Kennecott Utah Copper In order to capitalise on the continued strong prices, mine production ofmolybdenum was optimised at the expense of mined copper production. Inaddition, molybdenum production benefited from improved recoveries following thecompletion of the moly plant expansion project. Refined copper production returned to normal in the third quarter following thesmelter maintenance shut-down in May 2005. Escondida Mined copper production was above both the preceding quarter and thecorresponding period of 2004 due to higher grades, throughput and recoveries.The Norte crusher and ore handling system was commissioned in September. Grasberg Reflecting variations in grade in the active sections of the pit, production ofcopper was above and production of gold was below the preceding quarter.Production in the first three quarters of 2004 was affected by the 2003 materialslippage event. Other Production from Northparkes was 23 per cent above the second quarter. Followinga successful ramp-up period, Lift 2 is now the sole source of ore for the millresulting in higher grades and throughput. Over 70 per cent of the copperproduction at Palabora is also now sourced from underground production. RioTinto approved its share of the development costs of the Cortez Hills goldproject. Cortez Hills is part of the Cortez Joint Venture property in Nevada,which is 40 per cent owned by Rio Tinto. DIAMONDS Rio Tinto share of production (000 carats) Q3 05 vs Q3 04 vs Q2 05 9 mths 05 vs 9 mths 04Argyle 5,995 +13% -36% 24,021 +107%Diavik 1,306 -4% -13% 3,865 +6% Argyle Although above the third quarter of 2004, production from Argyle was below thatof the preceding quarter. Production volumes from Argyle have become morevariable as the deepening pit reduces flexibility. Production for the firstnine months of the year was significantly above that of 2004 which was alsoadversely affected by tight mining conditions. Diavik The process plant continued to operate at well above design capacity. However,diamond production was lower than the record second quarter due to the loweraverage grade of ore processed. Pit geometry and mine sequencing dictated themining of a higher proportion of ore from the lower grade A154N ore body. EXPLORATION AND EVALUATION Pre-tax expenditure on exploration and evaluation charged to the profit and lossaccount in the first nine months of 2005 was $168 million compared with $126million in the first nine months of 2004. Some of this expenditure is chargedagainst business unit earnings. Exploration drilling continued on copper targets in Chile, Peru, and in the US.Diamond exploration continued in Canada, Botswana, Mauritania, India and Brazil.Iron ore exploration continued in the Hamersley Basin (Western Australia) andin west Africa. Exploration for thermal and coking coal opportunities continuedin southern Africa, Australia and Canada. At La Sampala (nickel, Indonesia),negotiations for a Contract of Work have commenced. Brownfield exploration is underway at a number of Rio Tinto businesses, withnotable efforts to expand resources continuing in the Pilbara, at Kennecott UtahCopper, on the Freeport and Cortez Joint Ventures, at Greens Creek and atNorthparkes. Evaluation work continued at Eagle (nickel/copper, US), Sari Gunay (gold, Iran),Resolution (copper/gold, US), Potasio Rio Colorado (potash, Argentina) andSimandou (iron ore, Guinea). For further information, please contact: LONDON AUSTRALIAMedia Relations Media RelationsMaria Darby-Walker Ian HeadOffice: +44 (0) 20 7753 2305 Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3620Mobile: +44 (0) 7725 036544 Mobile: +61 (0) 408 360 101 Investor Relations Investor RelationsNigel Jones Dave SkinnerOffice: +44 (0) 20 7753 2401 Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3628Mobile: +44 (0) 7917 227 365 Mobile: +61 (0) 408 335 309David Ovington Susie CreswellOffice: +44 (0) 20 7753 2326 Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3639Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 010 978 Mobile: +61 (0) 418 933 792 Website: www.riotinto.com RIO TINTO PRODUCTION SUMMARYRIO TINTO SHARE OF PRODUCTION QUARTER NINE MONTHS % CHANGE 2004 2005 2005 2004 2005 Q3 05 Q3 05 9 Mths 05 Q3 Q2 Q3 vs vs vsPrincipal Commodities Q2 05 Q3 04 9 Mths 04Alumina ('000 t) 530 779 725 1,560 2,214 -7% 37% 42%Aluminium ('000 t) 210.4 213.3 216.6 627.4 638.1 2% 3% 2%Borates ('000 t) 153 146 141 428 409 -4% -8% -4%Coal - hard coking coal ('000 t) 2,070 1,952 1,755 5,371 5,610 -10% -15% 4%Coal - other Australian ('000 t) 8,803 7,298 7,996 24,688 23,287 10% -9% -6%Coal - US ('000 t) 30,398 28,916 28,290 86,662 86,446 -2% -7% 0%Copper - mined ('000 t) 174.7 190.1 195.4 548.2 573.7 3% 12% 5%Copper - refined ('000 t) 82.5 62.0 89.2 251.5 229.0 44% 8% -9%Diamonds ('000 cts) 6,688 10,954 7,349 15,255 28,037 -33% 10% 84%Gold - mined ('000 ozs) 367 420 376 1,124 1,256 -11% 2% 12%Gold - refined ('000 ozs) 74 76 92 232 258 22% 24% 11%Iron ore ('000 t) 27,307 32,166 32,187 78,854 91,972 0% 18% 17%Titanium dioxide feedstock ('000 t) 296 328 327 873 976 0% 11% 12% Other Metals & MineralsBauxite ('000 t) 3,157 3,674 3,781 9,496 10,898 3% 20% 15%Lead - mined ('000 t) 3.4 3.3 2.5 21.8 9.2 -26% -27% -58%Molybdenum ('000 t) 1.5 3.3 3.9 4.0 11.0 21% 170% 177%Salt ('000 t) 1,271 1,392 1,121 3,661 3,896 -20% -12% 6%Silver - mined ('000 ozs) 3,569 3,726 3,197 10,799 10,943 -14% -10% 1%Silver - refined ('000 ozs) 854 1,138 830 2,400 2,723 -27% -3% 13%Talc ('000 t) 371 363 336 1,088 1,056 -7% -9% -3%Uranium (tonnes) 1,610 1,352 1,799 4,398 4,744 33% 12% 8%Zinc - mined ('000 t) 10.7 10.4 8.1 62.1 28.5 -22% -24% -54% Throughout this report, figures in italics indicate adjustments made since thefigure was previously quoted on the equivalent page. Production figures are sometimes more precise than the rounded numbers shown,hence small differences may result between the total of the quarter figures andthe nine month figures. RIO TINTO SHARE OF PRODUCTION Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005ALUMINAProduction ('000 tonnes)Comalco Alumina Refinery (a) 100% - 175 196 228 191 - 616Eurallumina 56% 155 154 148 150 150 444 448Queensland Alumina 39% 375 342 366 401 384 1,116 1,151Rio Tinto total alumina production 530 671 710 779 725 1,560 2,214 ALUMINIUMRefined production ('000 tonnes)Anglesey 51% 18.9 18.4 18.2 18.2 18.3 55.4 54.7Bell Bay 100% 38.2 41.2 42.8 43.5 43.9 120.9 130.2Boyne Island 59% 82.0 79.1 79.5 81.6 82.4 242.2 243.5Tiwai Point 79% 71.2 70.4 67.8 70.0 72.0 209.0 209.8Rio Tinto total aluminium production 210.4 209.1 208.3 213.3 216.6 627.4 638.1 BAUXITEProduction ('000 tonnes)Boke (b) 0% - - - - - 179 -Weipa 100% 3,157 3,333 3,443 3,674 3,781 9,317 10,898Rio Tinto total bauxite production 3,157 3,333 3,443 3,674 3,781 9,496 10,898 BORATESBorates ('000 tonnes B2O3 content)Rio Tinto total borate production 100% 153 137 122 146 141 428 409 COAL - HARD COKINGRio Tinto Coal Australia (c) ('000 tonnes) Hail Creek Coal (d) 82% 1,376 1,100 1,136 1,223 1,208 3,532 3,568 Kestrel Coal 80% 693 289 766 729 547 1,838 2,042Rio Tinto total hard coking coal production 2,070 1,389 1,902 1,952 1,755 5,371 5,610 COAL - OTHER *Rio Tinto Coal Australia (c) ('000 tonnes) Bengalla 30% 526 295 433 386 366 1,313 1,185 Blair Athol Coal 71% 2,169 2,157 1,892 1,789 1,994 6,555 5,675 Hunter Valley Operations 76% 2,671 2,762 2,525 2,292 2,259 7,284 7,076 Kestrel Coal 80% 173 61 160 227 143 438 530 Mount Thorley Operations 61% 593 573 597 648 664 1,576 1,909 Tarong Coal 100% 1,888 1,651 1,784 1,334 1,804 5,352 4,922 Warkworth 42% 783 757 602 622 766 2,169 1,991Total Australian other coal 8,803 8,255 7,993 7,298 7,996 24,688 23,287Kennecott Energy ('000 tonnes) Antelope 100% 7,152 7,229 6,687 6,788 7,287 19,699 20,761 Colowyo (e) 1,494 1,412 1,315 1,315 1,219 4,376 3,848 Cordero Rojo 100% 9,023 9,358 9,170 8,736 7,687 25,874 25,592 Decker 50% 1,104 1,235 540 872 841 2,680 2,254 Jacobs Ranch 100% 8,833 8,792 9,032 8,188 8,014 26,187 25,233 Spring Creek 100% 2,791 3,046 2,497 3,018 3,243 7,845 8,758Total US coal 30,398 31,072 29,240 28,916 28,290 86,662 86,446Rio Tinto total other coal 39,201 39,327 37,233 36,214 36,286 111,350 109,732production COPPERMine production ('000 tonnes)Bingham Canyon 100% 63.3 73.9 62.1 56.7 50.2 189.8 169.0Escondida 30% 87.5 91.8 84.9 94.1 101.7 270.3 280.7Grasberg - FCX (f) 0% - - - - - 5.5 -Grasberg - Joint Venture (f) 40% 9.2 24.0 25.7 22.0 23.6 24.0 71.3Neves Corvo (g) 0% - - - - - 23.0 -Northparkes 80% 6.0 7.4 8.6 9.5 11.8 16.6 29.9Palabora (h) 49% 8.7 7.9 6.9 7.7 8.2 18.9 22.7Rio Tinto total mine production 174.7 204.9 188.2 190.1 195.4 548.2 573.7Refined production ('000 tonnes)Atlantic Copper (f) 0% - - - - - 7.0 -Escondida 30% 11.4 11.6 11.4 11.2 10.2 34.1 32.7Kennecott Utah Copper 100% 63.1 61.6 57.2 41.5 68.1 185.2 166.8Palabora (h) 49% 8.0 8.0 9.2 9.3 10.8 25.3 29.4Rio Tinto total refined production 82.5 81.1 77.8 62.0 89.2 251.5 229.0 Mine production figures for metals refer to the total quantity of metal producedin concentrates or dore bullion irrespective of whether these products are thenrefined on-site. * Coal - other includes thermal coal and semi-soft coking coal. See footnotes on page 10. RIO TINTO SHARE OF PRODUCTION (continued) Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005DIAMONDSProduction ('000 carats)Argyle 100% 5,328 9,011 8,633 9,393 5,995 11,610 24,021Diavik 60% 1,358 901 1,049 1,509 1,306 3,644 3,865Murowa (i) 78% 2 34 51 52 48 2 151Rio Tinto total diamond production 6,688 9,946 9,733 10,954 7,349 15,255 28,037 GOLDMine production ('000 ounces)Barneys Canyon 100% 5 5 4 4 4 16 13Bingham Canyon 100% 72 109 115 95 92 200 302Cortez/Pipeline 40% 105 87 88 110 89 334 287Escondida 30% 16 15 16 13 13 50 42Grasberg - FCX (f) 0% - - - - - 14 -Grasberg - Joint Venture (f) 40% 22 35 159 140 122 48 422Greens Creek 70% 15 14 15 14 11 46 39Kelian (j) 90% 64 90 31 8 - 205 38Lihir (k) 14% 22 24 15 19 E 27 63 E 61Morro do Ouro (l) 0% 24 23 - - - 73 -Northparkes 80% 14 18 10 11 12 45 33Rawhide 51% 6 6 6 5 3 19 14Rio Tinto Zimbabwe (m) 0% - - - - - 6 -Others - 1 1 2 2 2 5 5Rio Tinto total mine production 367 428 460 420 376 1,124 1,256Refined production ('000 ounces)Kennecott Utah Copper 100% 74 68 90 76 92 232 258 IRON OREProduction ('000 tonnes)Channar 60% 1,623 1,312 1,524 1,311 1,371 4,543 4,206Corumba 100% 352 375 377 372 371 926 1,121Eastern Range (n) 1,050 1,272 1,295 1,831 1,897 1,698 5,024Hamersley 100% 17,140 17,587 15,836 19,704 18,915 47,819 54,455Iron Ore Company of Canada (o) 59% 315 2,058 2,014 2,459 2,292 4,483 6,764Robe River 53% 6,828 6,299 6,572 6,489 7,341 19,384 20,402Rio Tinto total mine production 27,307 28,903 27,618 32,166 32,187 78,854 91,972 LEADMine production ('000 tonnes)Greens Creek 70% 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 2.5 10.6 9.2Zinkgruvan (p) 0% - - - - - 11.2 -Rio Tinto total mine production 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 2.5 21.8 9.2 MOLYBDENUMMine production ('000 tonnes)Bingham Canyon 100% 1.5 2.8 3.9 3.3 3.9 4.0 11.0 NICKELToll refined metal production (tonnes)Rio Tinto Zimbabwe - Empress (m) 0% - - - - - 1,619 - SALTProduction ('000 tonnes)Dampier Salt 65% 1,271 1,131 1,383 1,392 1,121 3,661 3,896 SILVERMine production ('000 ounces)Bingham Canyon 100% 947 1,121 1,140 1,050 884 2,462 3,074Escondida 30% 404 427 434 439 505 1,297 1,377Grasberg - FCX (f) 0% - - - - - 79 -Grasberg - Joint Venture (f) 40% 135 583 118 249 280 201 646Greens Creek 70% 1,813 1,664 2,120 1,797 1,313 5,157 5,229Zinkgruvan (p) 0% - - - - - 651 -Others - 270 235 209 193 216 952 617Rio Tinto total mine production 3,569 4,031 4,020 3,726 3,197 10,799 10,943Refined production ('000 ounces)Kennecott Utah Copper 100% 854 944 755 1,138 830 2,400 2,723 Mine production figures for metals refer to the total quantity of metal producedin concentrates or dore bullion irrespective of whether these products are thenrefined on-site, except for the data for iron ore which represent production ofsaleable quantities of ore plus pellets. See footnotes on page 10. E = Estimated number. RIO TINTO SHARE OF PRODUCTION (continued) Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005TALCProduction ('000 tonnes)Luzenac Group 100% 371 354 357 363 336 1088 1,056 TINMine production (tonnes)Neves Corvo (g) 0% - - - - - 59 - TITANIUM DIOXIDE FEEDSTOCKProduction ('000 tonnes)Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium 100% 296 319 321 328 327 873 976 URANIUMProduction (tonnes U3O8)Energy Resources of Australia 68% 931 1,026 1,001 855 1,087 2,491 2,944Rossing 69% 679 549 592 497 712 1,907 1,801Rio Tinto total uranium production 1,610 1,575 1,593 1,352 1,799 4,398 4,744 ZINCMine production ('000 tonnes)Greens Creek 70% 10.7 11.7 10.0 10.4 8.1 32.4 28.5Zinkgruvan (p) 0% - - - - - 29.7 -Rio Tinto total mine production 10.7 11.7 10.0 10.4 8.1 62.1 28.5 Mine production figures for metals refer to the total quantity of metal producedin concentrates or dore bullion irrespective of whether these products are thenrefined on-site. See footnotes below. Production data notes (a) Comalco Alumina Refinery started production in the fourth quarter of 2004.(b) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 4.0% interest in the Boke mine on 25 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale.(c) Rio Tinto Coal Australia manages all the operations below; including the mines which were previously reported separately under the Coal & Allied name.(d) Rio Tinto reduced its shareholding in Hail Creek from 92.0% to 82.0% on 15 November 2004.(e) Kennecott Energy has a partnership interest in the Colowyo mine but, as it is responsible under a management agreement for the operation of the mine, all of Colowyo's output is included in Rio Tinto's share of production.(f) From mid 1995 until 30 March 2004, Rio Tinto held 23.93 million shares of Freeport-McMoRan-Copper & Gold (FCX) common stock from which it derived a share of production. This interest was sold to FCX on 30 March 2004. Also, through a joint venture agreement with FCX, Rio Tinto is entitled, as shown separately in the above tables, to 40% of additional material mined as a consequence of expansions and developments of the Grasberg facilities since 1998.(g) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 49% interest in Somincor on 18 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale.(h) During September 2005, the conversion of debentures into ordinary shares resulted in a slight dilution of Rio Tinto's shareholding in Palabora from 49.2% to 49.0%.(i) Ore mining and processing at Murowa commenced during the third quarter of 2004.(j) Kelian ceased processing ore on the 7 February 2005 and the final gold pour was on 27 May 2005.(k) Rio Tinto's share of gold production includes an estimate of the production from the Lihir gold mine for the third quarter of 2005. The actual third quarter production, which may be different from the figure in this report, will be announced by Lihir Gold on 31 October 2005. The estimate in this report is based on the indicative third quarter 2005 production as previously disclosed in the Lihir Gold Limited's Second Quarter Mining and Exploration Report (published 25 July 2005). Rio Tinto reached agreement with Lihir Gold to relinquish its management agreement with Lihir, effective from October 2005.(l) Rio Tinto sold its interest in Morro do Ouro on the 31 December 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale.(m) As a result of the corporate restructuring completed on 8 July 2004, Rio Tinto has ceased to be an ordinary shareholder in the renamed RioZim but will retain a reduced cash participation in its gold and nickel assets for a period of ten years.(n) Rio Tinto's share of production includes 100% of the production from the Eastern Range mine, which commenced production in March 2004. Under the terms of the joint venture agreement, Hamersley Iron manages the operation and is obliged to purchase all mine production from the joint venture.(o) Rio Tinto sold its 19% interest in the Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Income Fund on 23 March 2005. The Fund has a shareholding in Iron Ore Company of Canada but this has not been included in the calculation of tonnage attributable to Rio Tinto.(p) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 100% interest in the Zinkgruvan mine on 2 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale. Where Rio Tinto's beneficial interest in an operation has changed, as indicatedabove, the share of production has been calculated using the weighted averageinterest over the relevant periods. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above isat 30 September 2005. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005ALUMINIUMRio Tinto AluminiumWeipa mine 100.0%Queensland, AustraliaBeneficiated bauxite production ('000 3,157 3,333 3,443 3,674 3,781 9,317 10,898tonnes)Metal grade bauxite shipments ('000 tonnes) 3,213 3,242 3,466 3,472 3,979 9,056 10,917Calcined bauxite production ('000 tonnes) 45 44 32 42 34 125 108Boke mine (a) 0.0%GuineaBauxite production ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 5,773 -Comalco Alumina Refinery (b) 100.0%Queensland, AustraliaAlumina production ('000 tonnes) - 175 196 228 191 - 616Eurallumina refinery 56.2%Sardinia, ItalyAlumina production ('000 tonnes) 275 274 264 267 267 790 798Queensland Alumina refinery 38.6%Queensland, AustraliaAlumina production ('000 tonnes) 971 887 948 1,038 995 2,891 2,980Anglesey Aluminium smelter 51.0%United KingdomPrimary aluminium production ('000 tonnes) 37.2 36.1 35.6 35.8 35.8 108.6 107.2Bell Bay smelter 100.0%Tasmania, AustraliaPrimary aluminium production ('000 tonnes) 38.2 41.2 42.8 43.5 43.9 120.9 130.2Boyne Island smelter 59.4%Queensland, AustraliaPrimary aluminium production ('000 tonnes) 135.8 135.8 132.5 136.1 137.9 404.8 406.4Tiwai Point smelter 79.4%New ZealandPrimary aluminium production ('000 tonnes) 88.7 88.6 85.4 87.7 90.2 261.7 263.3Rio Tinto Aluminium shareShare of primary aluminium sales('000 tonnes) 208.5 210.2 196.7 215.3 221.6 630.5 633.5 (a) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 4.0% interest in the Boke mine on 25 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale.(b) Comalco Alumina Refinery started production in the fourth quarter of 2004. BORATESRio Tinto Borax 100.0%California, US and ArgentinaBorates ('000 tonnes) (a) 153 137 122 146 141 428 409 (a) Production is expressed as B2O3 content. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COALKennecott Energy and Coal CompanyAntelope mine 100.0%Wyoming, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 7,152 7,229 6,687 6,788 7,287 19,699 20,761Colowyo mine (a)Colorado, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 1,494 1,412 1,315 1,315 1,219 4,376 3,848Cordero Rojo mine 100.0%Wyoming, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 9,023 9,358 9,170 8,736 7,687 25,874 25,592Decker mine 50.0%Montana, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 2,209 2,471 1,080 1,745 1,683 5,360 4,507Jacobs Ranch mine 100.0%Wyoming, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 8,833 8,792 9,032 8,188 8,014 26,187 25,233Spring Creek mine 100.0%Montana, USThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 2,791 3,046 2,497 3,018 3,243 7,845 8,758 Total coal production ('000 tonnes) 31,503 32,307 29,780 29,789 29,131 89,342 88,699Total coal sales ('000 tonnes) 31,503 32,307 29,780 29,789 29,131 89,342 88,699 (a) Kennecott Energy has a partnership interest in the Colowyo mine but, as it is responsible under a management agreement for the operation of the mine, all of Colowyo's output is included in Rio Tinto's share of production. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COAL (continued)Rio Tinto Coal Australia (a)Bengalla mine 30.3%New South Wales, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 1,737 975 1,430 1,274 1,208 4,337 3,912Blair Athol Coal mine 71.2%Queensland, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 3,045 3,027 2,655 2,512 2,799 9,202 7,966Hail Creek Coal mine (b) 82.0%Queensland, AustraliaHard coking coal production ('000 tonnes) 1,496 1,264 1,386 1,492 1,473 3,840 4,351Hunter Valley Operations 75.7%New South Wales, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 2,838 3,340 2,765 2,497 2,429 7,831 7,690Semi-soft coking coal production ('000 689 308 570 530 555 1,790 1,656tonnes)Kestrel Coal mine 80.0%Queensland, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 216 76 200 283 179 548 662Hard coking coal production ('000 tonnes) 867 361 957 912 683 2,298 2,552Mount Thorley Operations 60.6%New South Wales, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 722 817 718 612 836 1,946 2,166Semi-soft coking coal production ('000 258 129 268 458 261 656 986tonnes)Tarong Coal mine 100.0%Queensland, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 1,888 1,651 1,784 1,334 1,804 5,352 4,922Warkworth mine 42.1%New South Wales, AustraliaThermal coal production ('000 tonnes) 1,381 1,560 1,380 1,335 1,736 3,992 4,451Semi-soft coking coal production ('000 tonnes) 479 239 50 145 85 1,163 280 Total hard coking coal production ('000 tonnes) 2,363 1,625 2,343 2,403 2,157 6,138 6,903Total hard coking coal sales ('000 tonnes) 2,226 1,734 1,973 2,312 1,557 5,130 5,842Total other coal production ('000 tonnes) (c) 13,254 12,122 11,821 10,979 11,891 36,817 34,691Total other coal sales ('000 tonnes) (d) (e) 13,249 11,526 12,409 10,813 12,424 37,254 35,646 Total coal production ('000 tonnes) 15,616 13,748 14,164 13,382 14,048 42,954 41,595Total coal sales ('000 tonnes) 15,475 13,260 14,382 13,126 13,981 42,384 41,489Rio Tinto Coal Australia shareShare of hard coking coal sales ('000 tonnes) 1,948 1,481 1,608 1,881 1,268 4,506 4,757Share of other coal sales ('000 tonnes) (d) (e) 8,882 7,767 8,306 7,241 8,399 25,037 23,946 (a) Rio Tinto Coal Australia manages all the operations below; the mines in New South Wales were previously reported separately under the Coal & Allied name.(b) Rio Tinto reduced its shareholding in Hail Creek from 92.0% to 82.0% on 15 November 2004.(c) Other coal production includes thermal coal and semi-soft coking coal.(d) Other coal sales includes thermal coal, semi-soft coking coal and semi-hard coking coal (a mixture of thermal coal and coking coal).(e) Sales relate only to coal mined by the operations and exclude traded coal. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COPPER & GOLDEscondida 30.0%ChileSulphide ore treated ('000 tonnes) 20,637 20,925 19,913 21,725 22,255 61,453 63,893Average copper grade (%) 1.47 1.47 1.41 1.51 1.59 1.52 1.51Mill production (metals in concentrates): Contained copper ('000 tonnes) 256.8 265.1 241.1 277.8 304.4 780.5 823.3 Contained gold ('000 ounces) 53 51 55 44 42 166 140 Contained silver ('000 ounces) 1,347 1,424 1,446 1,462 1,682 4,323 4,590Oxide ore treated ('000 tonnes) 3,996 4,282 4,236 4,218 4,214 11,361 12,669Average copper grade (%) 0.87 0.96 0.99 0.85 0.82 1.06 0.89Contained copper in leachate/mined material('000 tonnes) 35 41 42 36 35 121 112Refined production: Oxide plant production ('000 tonnes) 38.0 38.5 37.9 37.2 34.1 113.6 109.2 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (a)Grasberg mine 0.0% (40.0% of the expansion)Papua, IndonesiaOre treated ('000 tonnes) 17,845 21,142 17,946 19,271 19,899 46,608 57,116Average mill head grades: Copper (%) 0.83 1.17 1.14 0.98 1.06 0.73 1.06 Gold (g/t) 0.79 1.20 1.62 1.43 1.16 0.73 1.40 Silver (g/t) 3.74 4.32 5.26 4.54 4.36 3.63 4.70Production of metals in concentrates: Copper in concentrates ('000 tonnes) 129.7 223.1 183.5 164.1 185.5 293.2 533.1 Gold in concentrates ('000 ounces) 370 684 788 750 609 901 2,146 Silver in concentrates ('000 ounces) 1,199 1,956 1,805 1,576 1,662 3,081 5,042Sales of payable metals in concentrates: (b) Copper in concentrates ('000 tonnes) 127.9 213.1 173.0 164.4 179.9 282.5 517.3 Gold in concentrates ('000 ounces) 372 652 743 759 594 872 2,096 Silver in concentrates ('000 ounces) 943 1,490 1,358 1,257 1,284 2,367 3,898 (a) See note (f) on page 10 concerning Rio Tinto's previous direct interest in Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold and its continuing 40% interest in the expansion of Grasberg.(b) Net of smelter deductions. Atlantic Copper smelter 0.0%SpainConcentrates and scrap smelted ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 187.1 -Copper anodes produced ('000 tonnes) (c) - - - - - 57.5 -Copper cathodes produced ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 58.4 -Copper cathode sales ('000 tonnes) (d) - - - - - 50.8 - (c) New metal excluding recycled material.(d) Refers to copper cathode and wire rod sales. Kelian Equatorial Mining (a) 90.0%East Kalimantan, IndonesiaOre treated ('000 tonnes) 2,057 2,141 826 - - 6,310 826Average ore grades: Gold (g/t) 1.56 2.15 1.68 - - 1.66 1.68 Silver (g/t) 3.90 4.61 2.29 - - 3.99 2.29Production: Gold ('000 ounces) 71 100 34 8 - 228 43 Silver ('000 ounces) 93 86 27 4 - 209 32Sales: Gold ('000 ounces) 76 19 90 10 - 259 100 Silver ('000 ounces) - - - 304 - 148 304 (a) Kelian ceased processing ore on the 7 February 2005 and the final gold pour was on 27 May 2005. Mine closure programmes including reclamation, rehabilitation and sustainable monitoring continue. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COPPER & GOLD (continued)Kennecott Minerals CompanyCortez/Pipeline mine 40.0%Nevada, USOre treated Milled ('000 tonnes) 794 759 823 868 759 2,334 2,449 Leached ('000 tonnes) 9,673 8,619 8,021 5,962 5,725 26,030 19,708 Sold for roasting ('000 tonnes) 107 109 42 72 90 314 203Average ore grade: gold Milled (g/t) 5.31 3.82 4.78 5.62 4.81 5.95 5.09 Leached (g/t) 0.70 0.66 0.67 0.60 0.49 0.73 0.60 Sold for roasting (g/t) 6.90 7.95 7.26 6.52 6.73 6.35 6.76Gold produced ('000 ounces) 264 217 220 274 223 835 718Greens Creek mine 70.3%Alaska, USOre treated ('000 tonnes) 182 189 168 178 154 541 500Average ore grades: Gold (g/t) 5.43 4.95 5.46 5.22 4.71 5.83 5.15 Silver (g/t) 619 533 735 608 527 584 626 Zinc (%) 11.1 10.9 10.8 10.5 9.6 11.2 10.3 Lead (%) 3.9 3.9 4.3 4.1 3.6 4.1 4.0Metals produced in concentrates: Gold ('000 ounces) 21 20 21 20 15 66 56 Silver ('000 ounces) 2,580 2,368 3,016 2,557 1,869 7,339 7,442 Zinc ('000 tonnes) 15.3 16.6 14.2 14.7 11.6 46.2 40.5 Lead ('000 tonnes) 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.7 3.5 15.0 13.1Rawhide mine (a) 51.0%Nevada, USMetals produced in dore: Gold ('000 ounces) 11 12 11 9 7 38 27 Silver ('000 ounces) 111 121 103 88 63 341 254 (a) Mining operations were completed in October 2002 and processing of stockpiled ores was completed in May 2003. Residual gold and silver production continues from the leach pads. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COPPER & GOLD (continued)Kennecott Utah CopperBarneys Canyon mine (a) 100.0%Utah, USGold produced ('000 ounces) 5 5 4 4 4 16 13 (a) Mining operations ceased in the first quarter of 2002. Gold continues to be recovered from leach pads. Bingham Canyon mine 100.0%Utah, USOre treated ('000 tonnes) 11,943 12,219 11,664 11,757 11,875 33,493 35,295Average ore grade: Copper (%) 0.58 0.67 0.60 0.53 0.47 0.61 0.53 Gold (g/t) 0.26 0.38 0.42 0.35 0.34 0.26 0.37 Silver (g/t) 2.95 3.60 3.75 3.36 2.81 2.84 3.30 Molybdenum (%) 0.028 0.055 0.063 0.057 0.052 0.025 0.057Copper concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) 276 291 243 231 193 815 667Average concentrate grade (% Cu) 22.8 25.3 25.5 24.4 26.0 23.3 25.3Production of metals in copper concentrates: Copper ('000 tonnes) (b) 63.3 73.9 62.1 56.7 50.2 189.8 169.0 Gold ('000 ounces) 72 109 115 95 92 200 302 Silver ('000 ounces) 947 1,121 1,140 1,050 884 2,462 3,074Molybdenum concentrates produced ('000 tonnes): 2.8 5.3 7.1 6.3 7.6 7.6 20.9 Molybdenum in concentrates ('000 tonnes) 1.5 2.8 3.9 3.3 3.9 4.0 11.0Kennecott smelter & refinery 100.0%Copper concentrates smelted ('000 tonnes) 288 229 217 224 300 869 742Copper anodes produced ('000 tonnes) (c) 66.1 54.8 50.4 43.1 68.6 184.7 162.1Production of refined metal: Copper ('000 tonnes) 63.1 61.6 57.2 41.5 68.1 185.2 166.8 Gold ('000 ounces) (d) 74 68 90 76 92 232 258 Silver ('000 ounces) (d) 854 944 755 1,138 830 2,400 2,723 (b) Includes a small amount of copper in precipitates.(c) New metal excluding recycled material.(d) Includes gold and silver in intermediate products. Northparkes Joint Venture 80.0%New South Wales, AustraliaOre treated ('000 tonnes) 1,270 1,306 1,300 1,360 1,372 3,702 4,032Average ore grades: Copper (%) 0.75 0.93 1.06 0.97 1.17 0.75 1.07 Gold (g/t) 0.66 0.59 0.46 0.43 0.47 0.69 0.45Copper concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) 21.7 25.5 30.2 33.7 39.5 57.5 103.3Contained copper in concentrates: Saleable production ('000 tonnes) 7.5 9.3 10.7 11.9 14.7 20.8 37.3 Sales ('000 tonnes) (a) 3.1 6.9 9.4 9.8 11.0 13.1 30.3Contained gold in concentrates: Saleable production ('000 ounces) 17.2 22.5 12.5 13.4 15.0 56.9 40.9 Sales ('000 ounces) (a) 11.4 18.1 15.5 9.0 10.6 41.8 35.2 (a) Rio Tinto's 80% share of material from the Joint Venture. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005COPPER & GOLD (continued)Palabora (a) 49.0%Palabora mineSouth AfricaOre treated ('000 tonnes) 2,345 2,314 2,156 2,459 2,572 6,343 7,187Average ore grade: copper (%) 0.75 0.73 0.72 0.71 0.71 0.75 0.71Copper concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) 64.2 52.2 48.0 48.4 52.9 135.5 149.3Average concentrate grade: copper (%) 27.7 30.6 29.3 32.2 31.3 28.4 31.0Copper in concentrates ('000 tonnes) 17.8 16.0 14.1 15.6 16.6 38.4 46.2Palabora smelter/refineryNew concentrate smelted on site ('000 59.0 67.0 75.2 71.7 75.2 186.5 222.2tonnes)New copper anodes produced ('000 tonnes) 14.4 17.3 20.0 19.4 22.7 49.9 62.0Refined new copper produced ('000 tonnes) 16.2 16.2 18.7 19.0 22.1 51.3 59.8By-products:Magnetite concentrate ('000 tonnes) 144 165 201 189 267 409 657Refined nickel sulphate (tonnes) 36 41 34 57 37 126 129Vermiculite plantVermiculite produced ('000 tonnes) 53 51 48 54 53 143 155 (a) During September 2005, the conversion of debentures into ordinary shares resulted in a slight dilution of Rio Tinto's shareholding, from 49.2% to 49.0%. Rio Tinto Brasil LimitadaMorro do Ouro mine (a) 0.0%Minas Gerais, BrazilOre treated ('000 tonnes) 4,409 4,163 - - - 13,179 -Average ore grade: gold (g/t) 0.44 0.46 - - - 0.45 -Refined gold produced ('000 ounces) 47.69 45.94 - - - 142.46 - (a) Rio Tinto sold its interest in Morro do Ouro on 31 December 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale. Rio Tinto Zimbabwe (a)Renco mine 0.0%ZimbabweOre treated ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 146 -Average ore grade: gold (g/t) - - - - - 3.30 -Total gold produced ('000 ounces) - - - - - 11 - (a) As a result of the corporate restructuring completed on 8 July 2004, Rio Tinto has ceased to be an ordinary shareholder in the renamed RioZim but will retain a reduced cash participation in its gold and nickel assets for a period of ten years. Somincor (a)Neves Corvo mine 0.0%PortugalTotal ore treated ('000 tonnes) (b) - - - - - 878 - of which, treated to extract tin ('000 - - - - - 13 -tonnes)Average ore grades: Copper (%) - - - - - 6.04 - Tin (%) - - - - - 1.93 -Copper production: Copper concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 198.3 - Copper concentrate grade: copper (%) - - - - - 23.7 - Copper in concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 46.9 -Tin production: Tin concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 0.2 - Tin concentrate grade: tin (%) - - - - - 65.9 - Tin in concentrates produced ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 0.1 - (a) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 49% interest in Somincor on 18 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale.(b) Total ore treated for both copper and tin production. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005DIAMONDSArgyle Diamonds 100.0%Western AustraliaAK1 ore processed ('000 tonnes) 2,468 2,618 2,342 2,358 2,111 6,958 6,811AK1 diamonds produced ('000 carats) 5,328 9,011 8,633 9,393 5,995 11,610 24,021 Diavik Diamonds 60.0%Northwest Territories, CanadaOre processed ('000 tonnes) 560 455 495 612 619 1,495 1,725Diamonds recovered ('000 carats) 2,263 1,502 1,749 2,515 2,177 6,073 6,441 Murowa Diamonds (a) 77.8%ZimbabweOre processed ('000 tonnes) 4 27 29 28 49 4 106Diamonds recovered ('000 carats) 3 44 66 67 61 3 194 (a) Ore mining and processing commenced during the third quarter of 2004. IRON OREHamersley IronWestern AustraliaSaleable iron ore production ('000 tonnes): Paraburdoo, Mount Tom Price, Marandoo, Yandicoogina and Brockman 100.0% 17,140 17,587 15,836 19,704 18,915 47,819 54,455 Channar 60.0% 2,705 2,187 2,540 2,185 2,284 7,572 7,010 Eastern Range (a) 1,050 1,272 1,295 1,831 1,897 1,698 5,024Total production ('000 tonnes) 20,895 21,046 19,671 23,720 23,097 57,089 66,489Total sales ('000 tonnes) (b) 19,822 20,913 20,024 21,885 22,387 55,598 64,297 (a) Rio Tinto owns 54% of the Eastern Range mine which commenced production in March 2004. Under the terms of the joint venture agreement, Hamersley Iron manages the operation and is obliged to purchase all mine(b) Sales represent iron ore exported from Western Australian ports. Iron Ore Company of CanadaNewfoundland & Labrador and Quebec in CanadaCarol Lake operations 58.7%Saleable iron ore production: Concentrates ('000 tonnes) 0 155 307 745 581 1,070 1,633 Pellets ('000 tonnes) 536 3,349 3,122 3,442 3,322 6,565 9,886Sales: Concentrate ('000 tonnes) 238 432 204 612 552 1,206 1,368 Pellets ('000 tonnes) 1,844 2,517 2,344 3,326 2,951 7,324 8,621 Rio Tinto BrasilCorumba mine 100.0%Mato Grosso do Sul, BrazilSaleable iron ore production ('000 tonnes) 352 375 377 372 371 926 1,121(a)(a) Production includes by-product fines. Robe River Iron AssociatesPannawonica mine 53.0%Western AustraliaSaleable iron ore production ('000 tonnes) 7,643 7,610 7,333 7,574 8,076 22,360 22,983Sales ('000 tonnes) 7,602 9,260 7,939 7,118 7,802 21,942 22,859West Angelas mine 53.0%Western AustraliaSaleable iron ore production ('000 tonnes) 5,240 4,276 5,067 4,670 5,775 14,214 15,512Sales ('000 tonnes) 5,784 4,764 4,932 4,469 5,902 14,462 15,303 Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. RIO TINTO OPERATIONAL DATA Rio Tinto 3Q 4Q 1Q 2Q 3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS interest 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2004 2005NICKELRio Tinto Zimbabwe (a)Empress Nickel refinery 0.0%ZimbabweProduction (tonnes) - - - - - 2,889 - (a) As a result of the corporate restructuring completed on 8 July 2004, Rio Tinto has ceased to be an ordinary shareholder in the renamed RioZim but will retain a reduced cash participation in its gold and nickel assets for a period of ten years. SALTDampier Salt 64.9%Western AustraliaSalt production ('000 tonnes) 1,957 1,742 2,130 2,144 1,726 5,638 6,000 TALCThe Luzenac Group 100.0%Australia, Europe, and North AmericaTalc production ('000 tonnes) 371 355 357 363 336 1,089 1,056 TITANIUM DIOXIDE FEEDSTOCKRio Tinto Iron & Titanium 100.0%Canada and South Africa(Rio Tinto share)Titanium dioxide feedstock production('000 tonnes) 296 319 321 328 327 873 976 URANIUMEnergy Resources of Australia LtdRanger mine 68.4%Northern Territory, AustraliaProduction (tonnes U3O8) 1,362 1,500 1,464 1,250 1,590 3,643 4,304Rossing Uranium Ltd 68.6%NamibiaProduction (tonnes U3O8) 990 801 863 725 1,038 2,781 2,625 ZINCZinkgruvan Mining AB 0.0%SwedenOre treated ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 335 -Average ore grades: Zinc (%) - - - - - 9.6 - Lead (%) - - - - - 3.9 - Silver (g/t) - - - - - 86 -Production of zinc concentrate ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 53.5 -Production of lead concentrate ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 15.8 -Production of metal in concentrates: Zinc ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 29.7 - Lead ('000 tonnes) - - - - - 11.2 - Silver ('000 ounces) - - - - - 651 - (a) Rio Tinto completed the sale of its 100% interest in the Zinkgruvan mine on 2 June 2004. Production data are shown up to the date of sale. Rio Tinto percentage interest shown above is at 30 September 2005. The datarepresent full production and sales on a 100% basis unless otherwise stated. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Rio Tinto