Quarterly Producton Report - Part 2

RIO TINTO PLC
27 October 1999


Part 2

Rio Tinto
Share of Production


                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q       9 MTHS 9 MTHS
      Interest     1998    1998     1999    1999    1999       1998   1999


COPPER
Mine production
('000 tonnes)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         83.2    84.4     79.4    68.9    67.2       213.8  215.6
Escondida      (a)
      30%          64.7    60.4     74.6    77.8    75.8       198.0  228.3
Grasberg -
FCX (b)
      13%          21.9    24.8     20.9    21.2    21.7       54.1   63.8
Grasberg -
Joint Venture (b)
      40%          39.3    40.5     19.9    24.8    23.2       95.7   67.9
Neves Corvo
      49%          13.9    14.3     13.0    12.2    12.9       41.8   38.0
Palabora (c)
      46%          16.2    17.1     12.3    9.8     12.9       43.6   35.0
Rio Tinto total
mine production   239.2    241.5   220.1   214.7   213.7      647.0  648.5
Refined production ('000 tonnes)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         61.2    70.8     53.9    71.9    69.2       168.0  195.1
Palabora (c)
      46%          13.6    12.8     11.8    9.6     11.3       32.3   32.6
Atlantic Copper (b)
      15%          8.7     9.2      9.2     9.2     8.8        24.5   27.2
Escondida
      30%          0.1     1.6      8.9     9.7     10.4       7.1    29.0
Rio Tinto total
refined production 83.7    94.4     83.8    100.4   99.7       231.9  283.9
At the end of the quarter, the Group had provisionally priced sales of copper
in concentrates and intermediate product as follows:
Million lbs of payable copper
Kennecott
      100%         3       3        14      0       0          3      0
Escondida
      30%          121     123      126     105     96         121    96
Grasberg (b)
      13%          43      60       39      59      40         43     40
Neves Corvo
      49%          13      13       9       9       9          13     9

Rio Tinto total    180     199      188     173     145        180    145

Priced at US
c/lb average       75      67       63      75      81         75     81


GOLD
Mine production ('000 ounces)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         100     100      96      87      95         266    278
Grasberg -
FCX (b)
      13%          64      103      76      77      83         166    236
Grasberg -
Joint Venture (b)
      40%          135     254      148     150     140        371    437
Kelian
      90%          114     107      93      91      111        307    294
Ridgeway
      100%         23      22       20      23      26         77     69
Barneys Canyon
      100%         25      29       18      26      25         54     69
Morro do Ouro
      51%          22      22       21      22      26         70     69
Rawhide
      51%          16      16       13      15      16         47     44
Peak
      100%         27      22       37      32      30         90     100
Cortez/Pipeline
      40%          162     150      126     135     143        305    404
Escondida
      30%          11      11       11      12      12         34     35
Rio Tinto Zimbabwe
      56%          11      11       10      10      10         31     30
Lihir
      17%          22      22       22      25      32         67     79
Others:
      -            17      17       19      17      19         46     55
Rio Tinto total
mine production   750      886     712     720        767    1,932  2,199

Refined production
('000 ounces)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         73      70       82      83      86         220    251


IRON ORE
Production ('000 tonnes)
Hamersley
      100%         10,644  11,134   10,002  11,437  11,778     34,446 33,217
Channar
      60%          1,371   1,818    1,322   1,268   1,772      4,235  4,361
Corumba (d)
      100%         247     213      211     227     235        743    673
Rio Tinto total
mine production   12,262   13,165  11,535  12,932   13,785   39,424  38,251

Mine production figures for metals refer to the total quantity of metal
produced  in concentrates or dore bullion irrespective of whether these
products are then refined onsite, except for the data for iron ore which
represent production of saleable quantities of ore.

See footnotes below


PRINCIPAL COMMODITIES (continued)
Rio Tinto
Share of Production


              Coal 3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q       9 MTHS 9 MTHS
      Interest     Type    1998     1998    1999    1999       1999   1998


COAL
US coal operations
('000 tonnes)
Kennecott Energy
Cordero Rojo
      100%     S   8,677   9,240    9,586   10,369  10,352     24,336 30,307
Antelope
      100%     S   4,625   4,993    4,590   5,183   5,548      12,624 15,321
Spring Creek
      100%     S   2,329   3,072    2,500   2,490   2,490      7,191  7,480
Decker   50%   S   1,220   1,129    1,162   988     1,253      3,650  3,403
Colowyo (e)
      100%     S   1,434   1,344    1,155   1,284   1,197      3,939  3,636
Jacobs Ranch (f)
      100%     S   5,361   7,265    6,189   6,750   6,416      5,361  19,355

Total US coal      23,646  27,043   25,182  27,064  27,256     57,100 79,502


Australian coal operations ('000 tonnes)
Pacific Coal:

Blair Athol (g)
      71%      S   1,591   1,426    1,999   2,011   2,088      4,620  6,098
Kestrel Coal (h)
      80%      S   -       -        -       70      183        -      253
      80%      M   -       -        -       96      503        -      599
Tarong   Coal
      100%     S   1,316   1,219    1,155   1,543   1,371      3,811  4,069
Coal & Allied Industries:

Hunter Valley
Operations (i)
      71%      S   1,411   1,262    1,121   1,076   1,257      4,060  3,454
      71%      M   478     673      556     458     661        1,498  1,675
Mount Thorley
      57%     S&M  679     756      734     672     684        1,460  2,090

Vickery (j)
      71%      S   -       -        -       -       -          286    -

Total Australian coal
                   5,474   5,337    5,565   5,926   6,747      15,735 18,238

Indonesian coal operations ('000 tonnes)
Kaltim Prima
Coal (k)
      50%      S   1,936   1,952    1,776   1,582   2,018      5,412  5,376

South American coal operations ('000 tonnes)
Carbones
del Cerrejon
      33%      S   302     205      93      102     97         842    292
Copelmi (l)
      0%       S     -     -        -       -       -          105    -
Total South American
coal operations
                   302     205      93      102     97         947    292

Rio Tinto total
coal production  31,357  34,537  32,616  34,674   36,118    79,194 103,408


ALUMINIUM / BAUXITE
Bauxite ('000 tonnes)
Weipa (m)
      72%          1,680   1,868    2,068   1,934   2,013      4,448  6,015
Boke (m)
      3%           75      109      76      75      38         182    189
Rio Tinto total
bauxite production
                   1,755   1,977    2,143   2,010   2,051      4,630  6,205

Aluminium ('000 tonnes)
Comalco (m)
      72%          112.4   114.3    115.9   121.8   124.1      327.0  361.8
Anglesey
      51%          17.1    17.4     17.5    17.4    17.3       51.6   52.2
Rio Tinto total
aluminium production
                   129.6   131.7    133.4   139.3   141.4      378.6  414.0

BORATES
Borates ('000 tonnes B2O3 content)
Rio Tinto total
borate production
      100%         162     132      146     142     140        455    428


TITANIUM DIOXIDE FEEDSTOCK
Production ('000 tonnes)
Rio Tinto Iron
& Titanium
      100%         399     394      377     354     347        1,147  1,077

Key to coal type:  S = Steam/ thermal coal, M = Metallurgical/coking coal
See footnotes below

OTHER METALS & MINERALS
Rio Tinto
Share of Production


                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q       9 MTHS 9 MTHS
      Interest     1998    1998     1999    1999    1999       1998   1999

DIAMONDS
Production ('000 carats)
Argyle
      60%          7,451   5,406    4,244   4,337   4,720      18,977 13,300


LEAD
Mine production ('000 tonnes)
Various
      -            5.2     5.6      5.3     5.4     5.4        15.4   16.1


MOLYBDENUM
Mine production ('000 tonnes)
Kennecott Utah
Copper
      100%         1.3     1.9      2.1     1.4     1.3        4.4    4.8


NICKEL
Nickel in matte (tonnes)
Fortaleza
      100%         1,806   1,923   2,171    1,726   2,620      2,747  6,517

Toll refined metal production (tonnes)
Rio Tinto
Zimbabwe - Empress
      56%          957     999     926      1,036   1,011      2,609  2,973

SALT
Production ('000 tonnes)
Dampier
      65%          809     697     714      941     835        2,283  2,490

SILVER
Mine production ('000 ounces)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         1,156   1,140    1,109   905     959        3,107  2,972
Greens Creek
      70%          2,091   1,561    1,547   1,954   1,810      5,115  5,312
Grasberg - FCX (b)
      13%          132     196      121     148     147        327    416
Grasberg -
Joint Venture (b)
      40%          176     370      50      61      194        421    304
Others:
      -            1,037   945      960     927     989        3,051  2,876
Rio Tinto total
                   4,592   4,212    3,787   3,994   4,099      12,021 11,880

Refined production ('000 ounces)
Kennecott
Utah Copper
      100%         742     718     1,202   1,154    1,160      1,892  3,516

TALC
Production ('000 tonnes)
Luzenac Group
      99.9%        298     289      310     325     321        905    955

TIN
Mine production (tonnes)
Neves Corvo
      49%          335     283      219     241     448        1,157  908

Mine production figures for metals refer to the total quantity of metal
produced in concentrates or dore bullion irrespective of whether these
products are then refined on site.  The nickel in matte production reflects
the contained tonnage of nickel.

See footnotes below.
OTHER METALS & MINERALS (continued)
Rio Tinto
Share of Production


                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q       9 MTHS   9 MTHS
      Interest     1998    1998     1999    1999    1999       1998     1999

URANIUM
Production (tonnes U3O8)
Rossing
      69%          592     470      576     549     558        1,764  1,682
Palabora (c)
      46%          8       8        10      11      10         24     31
Rio Tinto total
uranium production
                   600     478      587     559     567        1,787  1,713


ZINC
Mine production ('000 tonnes)
Various  -         19.3    19.1    19.4    18.9     19.2       51.7   57.4

Refined production ('000 tonnes)
Norzink  50%       17.5    17.2     18.5    17.5    18.2       51.8   54.2
Others:  -         3.5     3.3      2.9     3.1     3.5        10.0   9.5
Rio Tinto total
refined zinc production
                   21.0    20.5     21.4    20.6    21.6       61.8   63.7

(a)  Copper contained in oxide and sulphide ores has been included since the
   fourth quarter of 1998 when the new oxide plant was commissioned.
(b)  Rio Tinto's initial interests in the Grasberg mine and  in the Atlantic
   Copper smelter were acquired in 1995 by virtue of an acquisition of shares
   in Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX).  As a result of FCX share buy-backs,
   Rio Tinto's interest in FCX has changed and, as of 30 September 1999,  Rio
   Tinto had, by virtue of its FCX shareholding, a 12.6% share in Grasberg and
   a 14.6%  share in Atlantic Copper. From 1 January 1998, under the Joint
   Venture agreement with FCX, Rio Tinto is entitled to 40% of additional 
   material mined as a consequence of the expansion of the Grasberg facilities.
   The additional entitlement is shown separately in the above tables.
(c)  Rio Tinto increased its interest in Palabora Mining Company from 38.9%
   to 46.5% on 10 June 1998. Rio Tinto's share of production has been
   calculated using the weighted average of Rio Tinto's interest over the
   relevant periods. 
(d)  Rio Tinto increased its interest in the Corumba mine, Brazil, from 80% to
   100% during June 1999. Rio Tinto's share of production has been increased to
   100% from 1 January 1999, in accordance with the purchase agreement.
(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)  Rio Tinto acquired the Jacobs Ranch mine in Wyoming, US, with effect from
   23 July 1998. 
(g)  On 10 January 1999, Rio Tinto increased its beneficial interest in the
   Blair Athol mine from 57.2% to 71.2%.
(h)  Rio Tinto acquired Kestrel Coal, formerly Gordonstone, in February 1999 and
   production commenced in June 1999. 
(i)  Coal & Allied has purchased the Rio Tinto Group's coal interests in New
   South Wales which included its 60% interest in the Howick mine. Coal & Allied
   has also purchased Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd's 40% interest in the
   Howick mine. These transactions took effect from 1 July 1999. The
   restructuring of Coal and Allied's shareholding leaves Rio Tinto with a
   70.88% interest. Rio Tinto's share of production for quarters prior to 1 July
   1999 is reported in line with the pre-merger shareholdings.
(j)  The Vickery mine was closed on 31 May 1998. The last stockpiled coal was
   sold in the first quarter of 1999.
(k) Rio Tinto has a 50% share in Kaltim Prima and, under the terms of its Coal
   Agreement, the Indonesian Government is entitled to a 13.5% share of Kaltim
   Prima's production. Rio Tinto's share of production shown is before deduction
   of the Government share.
(l)  As a consequence of a restructuring, with effect from 1 April 1998, Rio
   Tinto ceased to have any direct interest in the production from Copelmi's
   Recreio mine. 
(m)  Production figures derived for Comalco reflect Comalco's share of primary
   aluminium production from its wholly owned or managed smelters. Rio Tinto
   increased its interest in Comalco from 67.0% to 70.4% during 1998. During
   the first half of 1999, Rio Tinto increased its interest in Comalco from
   70.4% to 72.4%. Rio Tinto's share of production has been calculated using the
   weighted average of Rio Tinto's interest over the relevant periods.

More to follow


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