Marcona interest sold

Rio Tinto PLC
06 January 2005



Rio Tinto sells interest in Marcona



On 30 December 2004 Rio Tinto completed the sale of its interest in the Marcona
copper deposit in Peru (Rio Tinto 57.5 per cent) and adjacent exploration
tenements to Marcobre S.A.C. (Marcobre) for an initial consideration of US$13
million. Rio Tinto has reinvested US$5 million of the consideration in ordinary
shares in Chariot Resources, owner of 70 per cent of Marcobre. A further US$7
million will be payable to Rio Tinto by Marcobre on the second anniversary of
the closing date of this transaction. Further payments to Rio Tinto of up to
US$5 million are conditional on a decision to mine Marcona and the size of the
copper resource at that time.





For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                             AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                                    Media Relations

Lisa Cullimore                                     Ian Head
Office:  [phone]                      Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                       Mobile: [phone]

Investor Relations                                 Investor Relations

Peter Cunningham                                   Dave Skinner
Office:  [phone]                      Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                       Mobile: [phone]
Richard Brimelow                                   Susie Creswell
Office:  [phone]                      Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                       Mobile: [phone]


Website: www.riotinto.com




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange