3Qtr Production Report-Pt 2

Rio Tinto PLC
25 October 2000


Part 2


ALUMINIUM

                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q     9 MTHS  9 MTHS
                   1999    1999     2000    2000    2000   1999    2000

Comalco
Production and sales from operations owned by Comalco (Rio Tinto 100% (a))
including Comalco's share of primary aluminium production from partly
owned smelters.

(100% of Comalco's share)

('000 tonnes)
Weipa mine, Queensland (Comalco 100%):
Beneficiated bauxite
production         2,784   2,997    2,777   3,008   2,990  8,390   8,775
Metal grade bauxite
shipments          3,019   2,997    2,729   2,766   3,058  8,197   8,553
Calcined bauxite
production         27      34       33      36      31     78      100


Boke mine, Guinea
(Comalco 4%):
Bauxite production 53      177      173     172     111    265     456

Queensland Alumina Limited,
Queensland
(Comalco 30.3%):
Alumina production 277     279      273     294     284    823     851
Eurallumina SpA,
Sardinia
(Comalco 56.2%):
Alumina production 142     141      142     140     146    405     428
Primary aluminium production:
Bell Bay, Tasmania
(Comalco 100%)     37.9    39.0     37.1    38.8    40.6   112.1   116.5
Boyne Island, Queensland
(Comalco 54.2%)    68.0     68.7    69.9    68.2    68.8   199.0   206.9
Tiwai Point, New Zealand
(Comalco 79.4%)    65.6     66.1    65.2    64.6    66.0   193.3   195.8
Total Comalco
share              171.6   173.8    172.2   171.6   175.5  504.4   519.3
Total sales of Comalco
produced aluminium 
                   169.3   173.3    169.6   182.5   157.7  503.1   509.8


(a)Rio Tinto progressively increased its interest in Comalco from 70.4% to
  72.4% during the first half of 1999. During the first half of 2000, Rio
  Tinto offered to acquire all the shares in Comalco and now holds 100%.

Weipa bauxite production for the nine months to September 2000 was better
than in the comparable period of 1999 due to ongoing process improvements.
Bauxite shipments from Weipa were higher than in recent quarters due to
increased demand from Queensland Alumina Limited and higher traded market
sales.

Queensland Alumina Limited and Eurallumina SpA production remained strong
as process improvements continued.

Overall daily production at the aluminium smelters remained strong due to
ongoing improvements.  Aluminium sales for the third quarter were lower
than in prior quarters due to the timing of shipments being delayed into
the fourth quarter of 2000.


Anglesey Aluminium
Total production at Anglesey Aluminium (Rio Tinto 51%) in the UK.

(100% basis)

Aluminium hot metal production
('000 tonnes)      33.9    34.7     35.0    35.3    35.3   102.4   105.6


INDUSTRIAL MINERALS

                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q     9 MTHS  9 MTHS
                   1999    1999     2000    2000    2000   1999    2000
BORATES

Rio Tinto Borax
Total production at the Boron mine (Rio Tinto 100%) in California, US and
at the Tincalayu, Sijes and Porvenir mines (Rio Tinto 100%) in Argentina.

(100% basis)

Borates
('000 tonnes) (a)  141     132      145     135     161    428     441

(a)  Production is expressed as B2O3 content.


TITANIUM DIOXIDE FEEDSTOCK

Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium
Total Rio Tinto share of titanium dioxide feedstock production in Canada
and South Africa.

(Rio Tinto share)
Titanium dioxide
feedstock
production
('000 tonnes)      347     350      349     310     341    1,078   1,000


The first half was restricted whilst a furnace at QIT was being repaired.
All furnaces at QIT are now back in operation and production capability
has been restored to full capacity.


                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q      9 MTHS  9MTHS
                   1999    1999     2000    2000    2000    1999    2000
DIAMONDS

Argyle Diamonds
Total production from mining operations at Argyle Diamonds (Rio Tinto
59.7%) in Western Australia.

(100% basis)
Ore processed
('000 tonnes):
AK1 ore            1,992   2,552    2,575   2,780   2,597  6,951   7,953
Alluvial ore       1,527   1,488    1,260   1,108   1,492  4,455   3,860

Total ore
processed          3,519    4,040   3,835   3,888  4,089   11,407  11,812

Diamonds recovered ('000 carats):
AK1                7,433   6,876    6,384   7,247   6,439  20,884  20,069
Alluvial           473     544      287     281     318    1,395   886
Total
recovered          7,906    7,420   6,671   7,527  6,757   22,279  20,955

AK1 ore processed for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2000
was higher than in the corresponding periods last year as a result of the
plant shutdown that occurred in September 1999 to upgrade the scrubber
feed system.

Lower AKI diamond production for the third quarter and first nine months
of the year, relative to the corresponding periods last year, reflected
the lower grade of ore processed in line with expectations and as a result
of pit development work.

SALT

Dampier Salt

Total production of salt from Dampier and Lake MacLeod (Rio Tinto 64.9%)
in Western Australia.

(100% basis)

Salt production
('000 tonnes)      1,286   1,416    1,024   1,338   1,142  3,834   3,504

The consequences of Cyclone Steve, in the first quarter, and related
flooding has had an adverse effect on production in 2000.

TALC

The Luzenac Group
Total talc production from Luzenac Group operations in Europe (Rio Tinto
99.9%) and North America (Rio Tinto 100%).

(100% basis)
Talc
production
('000 tonnes)      321     313      321     315     324    956     960
OTHER METALS

                   3Q      4Q       1Q      2Q      3Q     9 MTHS  9 MTHS
                   1999    1999     2000    2000    2000   1999    2000

NICKEL

Rio Tinto Brasil Limitada

Total nickel in matte production at the Fortaleza mine (Rio Tinto 100%) in
Brazil.

Production
(tonnes)           2,620   2,928    2,561   2,170   1,333  6,517   6,064

Production in the third quarter of 2000 was reduced as the mine prepared
for transition from open pit to underground operation.
Rio Tinto Zimbabwe

Total refined metal production at the Empress nickel refinery (Rio Tinto
56.0%) in Zimbabwe.

(100% basis)

Production
(tonnes)           1,802   1,728    1,736   1,676   1,869  5,299   5,281

URANIUM

Rossing Uranium
Total uranium production at the Rossing Uranium mine (Rio Tinto 68.58%) in
Namibia.

(100% basis)

Production
(tonnes U3O8)      812     719      818     726     821    2,452   2,365

Energy Resources of Australia
Production at the Ranger mine (68.4% Rio Tinto (a)) in the Northern
Territory, Australia.

(100% basis)

Production
(tonnes U3O8)      -       -        -       -       548    -       548

(a)  Rio Tinto acquired its interest in Energy Resources of Australia as
     part of the purchase of North Limited.  Production data are shown from 11
     August 2000, the effective date of the acquisition.


ZINC

Zinkgruvan Mining AB

Total production at the Zinkgruvan mine (Rio Tinto 100% (a)) in Sweden.

(100% basis)

Ore treated
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       127     -       127
Average grades:
Zinc (%)           -       -        -       -       10.1    -       10.1
Lead (%)           -       -        -       -       3.8     -       3.8
Silver (g/t)       -       -        -       -       107     -       107

Production of zinc
concentrate
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       22.7    -       22.7
Production of lead
concentrate
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       5.5     -       5.5

Production of
metal in
concentrates:
Zinc
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       12.8    -       12.8
Lead
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       3.9     -       3.9
Silver
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       271     -       271

(a)  Rio Tinto acquired its interest in Zinkgruvan as part of North
     Limited.  Production data are shown from 11 August 2000, the effective
     date of the acquisition.

Norzink AS
Total refined zinc production at the Norzink smelter (Rio Tinto 50%) in
Norway.
(100% basis)

Production
('000 tonnes)      36.3    35.7     35.6    32.9    35.2   108.3   103.7

Other

Wood Fibre
North Forest Products

Production and sales at North Forest Products operations (Rio Tinto 100%
(a)) in Tasmania, Australia.

Hardwood chips
(domestic & export):
Saleable production
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       485      -     485
Sales
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       369      -     369

Softwood sawlogs
(domestic & export):
Saleable production
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       11       -     11
Sales
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       8        -     8

Softwood pulplogs
& chips
(domestic & export):
Saleable production
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       20       -     20
Sales
('000 tonnes)      -       -        -       -       19       -     19

(b)  Rio Tinto acquired its interest in North Forest Products as part of
     North Limited.  Production data are shown from 11 August 2000, the
     effective date of the acquisition.

                                                                              
                                 EXPLORATION                                  

Expenditure

Total pre-tax exploration expenditure charged to the profit and loss
account for the quarter ending 30 September 2000 was US$28 million
compared with US$26 million for the comparable quarter of 1999. Total
expenditure for the first nine months of 2000 was US$86 million compared
with US$90 million in the first nine months of 1999.


Major Developments
Grasberg, Indonesia

Delineation drilling, on Contract of Work Block A, continued at Deep
Grasberg and on recently recognised gold-copper mineralisation within the
Ertsberg diorite.


Feasibility Studies
Murowa Diamond Project, Zimbabwe

The study that commenced in November 1999 is in the final phase of
activity and is now focussed on a feasibility study for a 0.5 million
tonnes of ore per annum operation.  The study is scheduled for completion
by year end.


Other Programmes

Country     Commodity   Programme Summary
                        
Australia   Phosphate   Delineation drilling commenced at the Wonarah
                        deposit in the Northern Territory.
                        
Brazil      Diamonds    Sampling of kimberlite pipes continued in the
                        Catalao area of the Parana Basin
                        
Canada      Uranium     Drilling continued on uranium targets in
                        Saskatchewan
                        
Turkey      Copper      Surface exploration commenced on several porphyry
                        copper prospects.
                        
United      Gold        Reconnaissance drilling continued on prospects in
States                  Nevada and Alaska.