Coal & Allied Production Rpt

Rio Tinto PLC
24 October 2001

Coal & Allied Production Report

for the Quarter Ended 30 September 2001


                                       3Q    4Q    1Q    2Q    3Q 9 MTHS 9 MTHS
                                     2000  2000  2001  2001  2001   2000   2001
(100% basis)

Hunter Valley Operations (a)

Thermal coal production ('000       1,437 1,545 1,500 1,418 2,632  4,217  5,550
tonnes)

Coking coal production ('000          598   556 1,248   970   945  2,267  3,163
tonnes)

Mount Thorley Operations

Thermal coal production ('000         650   656   497   588   643  1,508  1,728
tonnes)

Coking coal production ('000          540   588   397   540   694  1,637  1,631
tonnes)

Bengalla Mine (b)

Thermal coal production ('000           -     -   944 1,423 1,073      -  3,440
tonnes)

Moura Mine (b)

Thermal coal production ('000           -     -   370   825   521      -  1,716
tonnes)

Coking coal production ('000            -     -   666   725   705      -  2,096
tonnes)

Narama Mine (b)

Thermal coal production ('000           -     -   399   769   564      -  1,732
tonnes)

Ravensworth East Mine (b)

Thermal coal production ('000           -     -   177   491   386      -  1,054
tonnes)

Warkworth Mine (b & c)

Thermal coal production ('000           -     -   979 1,571 1,446      -  3,996
tonnes)

Coking coal production ('000            -     -   172   187    51      -    410
tonnes)

Total coal production ('000 tonnes) 3,225 3,345 7,349 9,507 9,662  9,629 26,518

Total sales ('000 tonnes) (d)       3,654 2,989 7,694 9,507 9,009 10,163 26,210

Coal production for Hunter Valley Operations increased in the third quarter of
2001 compared with the second quarter of 2001 due to improved in-pit inventory
levels and increasing availability as a result of moving to seven days a week.
Coal production at the Moura mine in the third quarter of 2001 was affected by
maintenance and geotechnical issues which have now been resolved.

Notes

 a. Hunter Valley Operations consist of the merged Howick and Hunter Valley
    mines, as well as the Lemington mine acquired with effect from 20 December
    2000.

 b. Coal & Allied purchased the Australian subsidiaries of the Peabody Group
    effective 29 January 2001. The ownership interests in the mines are:
    Bengalla Mine 40%; Moura Mine 55%; Narama Mine 50%; Ravensworth East Mine
    100%; and Warkworth Mine 43.75%. The production figures reported here for
    these ex-Peabody mines are from 29 January 2001.

 c. In a separate transaction also effective 29 January 2001, Coal & Allied
    increased its ownership of the Warkworth Mine by 11.82%, bringing Coal &
    Allied's ownership interest to 55.57%

 d. Sales relate only to coal mined by the Coal & Allied mines and exclude
    traded coal.

For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                 AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                        Media Relations

Lisa Cullimore                         Fiona Powell

+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2305                  [phone]

Investor Relations                     Investor Relations

Peter Cunningham                       Dave Skinner

+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2401                  [phone]

Jonathan Murrin

+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2326


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