Coal & Allied 4QPR2005

Rio Tinto PLC
18 January 2006

Rio Tinto's 75.7 per cent owned subsidiary, Coal & Allied Industries Limited,
issued the following news release in Australia. All dollars are Australian
currency.



Coal & Allied production report for the quarter ended 31 December 2005


                                            4Q    1Q            2Q        3Q        4Q  12 months  12 months
'000 tonnes (100% basis)                  2004      2005      2005      2005      2005       2004       2005

Hunter Valley Operations
Thermal coal production                  3,340     2,765     2,497     2,429     2,651     11,172     10,341
Semi-soft coking coal production           308       570       530       555       378      2,097      2,033
Mount Thorley Operations

Thermal coal production                    817       718       612       836       529      2,762      2,695
Semi-soft coking coal production           129       268       458       261       281        785      1,267

Bengalla Mine

Thermal coal production                    975     1,430     1,274     1,208     2,053      5,312      5,965
Warkworth Mine

Thermal coal production                  1,560     1,380     1,335     1,736     1,495      5,552      5,946
Semi-soft coking coal production           239        50       145        85        67      1,403        347

Total coal production                    7,368     7,181     6,850     7,110     7,452     29,083     28,594

Total sales ('000 tonnes)(a)             6,835     7,860     6,564     7,088     7,529     28,677     29,042


 (a)  Sales relate only to coal mined by the operations and exclude traded coal.

Production figures are sometimes more precise than the rounded numbers shown,
hence small differences may result between the total of the quarter figures and
the full year figures.



The significant increase in production at Bengalla is the result of mining in an
area with thicker coal seams than those mined in previous quarters.  Wet weather
and a dragline shutdown limited production at Mount Thorley/Warkworth during the
quarter.

Shipments were in line with the allocation set under the Port Waratah Coal
Services capacity balancing system.

There was no exploration activity during the quarter.



For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                               AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                                      Media Relations
Maria Darby Walker                                   Ian Head
Office:  [phone]                        Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]

Investor Relations                                   Investor Relations
Nigel Jones                                          Dave Skinner
Office: [phone]                         Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]


David Ovington                                       Susie Creswell
Office:  [phone]                        Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]

Website: www.riotinto.com






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