Coal & Allied - 3QPR 2005

Rio Tinto PLC
19 October 2005

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 30 September 2005




                                             3Q         4Q         1Q         2Q         3Q    Full Year
'000 tonnes (100% basis)(a)                2004       2004       2004       2005       2005         2004

Hunter Valley Operations
Thermal coal production                   2,838      3,340      2,765      2,497      2,429       11,172
Semi-soft coking coal production            689        308        570        530        555        2,097

Mount Thorley Operations
Thermal coal production                     722        817        718        612        836        2,762
Semi-soft coking coal production            258        129        268        458        261          785

Bengalla Mine
Thermal coal production                   1,737        975      1,430      1,274      1,208        5,312

Warkworth Mine
Thermal coal production                   1,381      1,560      1,380      1,335      1,736        5,552
Semi-soft coking coal production            479        239         50        145         85        1,403

Total coal production                     8,105      7,368      7,181      6,850      7,110       29,083

Total sales ('000 tonnes)(a)              7,931      6,835      7,860      6,564      7,088       28,677


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


The capacity balancing system at the Port of Newcastle continues to manage the
rate of presentation of vessels.  Mine production aligned with port and rail
allocation.



Production at the Bengalla Mine was below the preceding quarter and the third
quarter of 2004 due to mining in a less productive region of the mine.  At Mt
Thorley/Warkworth Operations, semi-soft and thermal coal production varied as a
result of different coal seams exposed.  Planned maintenance at Hunter Valley
Operations impacted production during the quarter.



No exploration activity was undertaken during the quarter.



Coal & Allied continued work on the feasibility study of the Mount Pleasant
deposit (Coal & Allied 100 per cent).





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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