Q2 Production Report - Pt.2

Rio Tinto PLC
25 July 2001

PART 2 


DIAMONDS

Argyle Diamonds
Total production from mining operations at Argyle Diamonds (Rio Tinto
99.8%(a)) in Western Australia.

(100% basis)
Ore processed
('000 tonnes):
AK1 ore            2,780   2,597    2,466   2,697   2,423  5,356   5,120
Alluvial ore       1,108   1,492    1,048   1,007   1,204  2,368   2,211

Total ore
processed          3,888   4,089    3,514   3,704   3,627  7,723   7,331

Diamonds recovered ('000 carats):
AK1                7,247   6,439    5,354   4,918   4,759  13,630  9,677
Alluvial           281     318      166     164     263    568     427
Total
recovered          7,527   6,757    5,520   5,082   5,022  14,198  10,104

(a)  During the second half of 2000, Rio Tinto increased its interest in
Argyle from 59.7% to 99.8% by virtue of its acquisition of Ashton Mining.

AK1 carat production was lower in the second quarter of 2001 than in the
comparable period of 2000 due to ongoing processing of lower grade ore to
facilitate pit development.
Alluvials carat production was higher than in the previous two quarters
due to mining higher grade blocks.

Ashton Mining

Total Rio Tinto share of production from the Ashton Mining (Rio Tinto 100%
(a)) interests apart from Argyle.

(Rio Tinto share)
Ore processed
('000 tonnes)      -       -        95      95      155     -       250
Diamonds recovered
('000 carats)      -       -        37      15      22      -       36

(a)  Production data are shown from 10 November 2000, the effective date
     of acquisition of Ashton Mining.

Carat production in the second quarter of 2001 increased compared with the
first quarter of 2001, following resumption of operations at Merlin in May
that had been suspended due to the effect of wet weather.

IRON ORE

                   2Q      3Q       4Q      1Q      2Q     1H      1H
                   2000    2000     2000    2001    2001   2000    2001

Hamersley Iron
Total production and shipments are for all the mines operated by Hamersley
Iron (Rio Tinto 100%).  These mines are Paraburdoo, Mount Tom Price,
Marandoo, Yandicoogina, Brockman (all Rio Tinto 100%) and Channar (Rio
Tinto 60%) all in Western Australia.

(100% basis)

Saleable iron ore produced
('000 tonnes):
Paraburdoo, Mount Tom Price,
Marandoo, Brockman and
Yandicoogina       12,978  14,642   14,857  13,579  14,352 25,596  27,931
Channar            2,465   2,732    2,811   2,453   2,716  5,059   5,169

Total
production         15,443  17,374   17,668  16,032  17,068 30,655  33,100
Total shipments
('000 tonnes)      16,870  17,301   17,722  15,312  16,504 32,032  31,816

In the first half of 2001, Hamersley achieved record first half
production; 8% higher than the previous first half record in 1999. Second
quarter production was 11% higher than the previous second quarter record,
in 2000. This was achieved despite an extended delay at a port dumper,
which caused a number of train cancellations. Shipments for the first half
and second quarter of 2001 were slightly below last year due to lower
shipments to Japan and Europe, partly offset by higher sales to China.

Iron Ore Company of Canada

Total production from the Carol Lake operations (Rio Tinto 56.1% (a)) in
Labrador, Canada.

(100% basis)

Carol Lake operations
Saleable production:
Concentrates
('000 tonnes)      -       567      868     638     1,019   -      1,657
Pellets
('000 tonnes)      -       1,609    3,092   2,702   3,306   -      6,008

Shipments:
Concentrate
('000 tonnes)      -       718      1,124   652     1,098   -      1,750
Pellets
('000 tonnes)      -       1,781    2,517   1,987   2,824   -      4,811

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

The second quarter saw a significant improvement in IOC's production
performance, with a new quarterly record being set for pellet production
and new daily pellet production records being set for all pellet types
during the quarter. Commissioning of a new fleet of haulage trucks
resulted in a dramatic improvement in fleet availability. First half sales
were lower than last year due to the softening of the European and North
American steel markets.

Rio Tinto Brasil Limitada
Total production at the Corumba mine (Rio Tinto 100%) in Corumba, Mato
Grosso do Sul, Brazil.


Corumba mine
Total iron ore 
production
('000 tonnes) (a)  173     281      178     156     116     319     272

(a)  Production includes by-product fines.

Production was lower in the second quarter of 2001, than in previous quarters,
due to a delay until June 2001 in renewing a major sales contract.

Robe River Iron Associates

Total production from the Pannawonica mine (Rio Tinto 53% (a)) in Western
Australia.

(100% basis)

Pannawonica mine
Saleable production
('000 tonnes)      -       4,831    7,954   6,781   6,970   -      13,751
Shipments
('000 tonnes)      -       5,600    7,295   7,305   7,136   -      14,441

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

Production for the second quarter of 2001 was 3% higher compared with the
previous quarter. Production was adversely affected in the second quarter
of 2001 by machinery maintenance and commitment to training. With the
commissioning of an additional process plant, production levels are
expected to improve.


NICKEL

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

Fortaleza mine
Production
(tonnes)       2,170       1,333    2,674   2,710   2,487   4,731   5,197

Production  was lower in the second quarter of 2001 due to a 12 day
unscheduled shutdown of the electric arc furnace in April and due to
national energy reduction requirements.

Rio Tinto Zimbabwe

Total refined metal production at the Empress Nickel refinery (Rio Tinto 56%)
in Zimbabwe.

(100% basis)

Empress Nickel refinery
Production
(tonnes)           1,676   1,869    1,654   1,623   1,651  3,412  3,274

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)      1,338   1,142    1,095   1,385   1,571  2,362  2,956


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)      315     324      302     323     319    636    641


TITANIUM DIOXIDE FEEDSTOCK

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

(Rio Tinto share)
Titanium dioxide
feedstock
production
('000 tonnes)      310     341      368     356     371    659     727


URANIUM

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

(100% basis)

Ranger mine
Production
(tonnes U3O8)      -       548      1,216   1,320   947    -       2,267

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

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

(100% basis)

Production
(tonnes U3O8)      726     821      836     724     449    1,544   1,173

Production in the second quarter of 2001 was reduced due to a major
maintenance shutdown in April.

ZINC

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

Production
('000 tonnes)      32.9    35.2     34.7    36.3    4.5    68.5    40.9

(a)  Rio Tinto completed the sale of its interest in Norzink on 17 April
     2001.


Zinkgruvan Mining AB

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


Ore treated
('000 tonnes)      -       127      179     201      203    -      404
Average grades:
Zinc (%)           -       10.1     11.1    8.2     8.0     -      8.1
Lead (%)           -       3.8      4.3     3.3     3.9     -      3.6
Silver (g/t)       -       107      112     75      87      -      81

Production of zinc
concentrate
('000 tonnes)      -       22.7     33.9    28.0    26.6    -      54.6
Production of lead
concentrate
('000 tonnes)      -       5.5      9.1     7.9     9.6     -      17.5

Production of
metal in
concentrates:
Zinc
('000 tonnes)      -       12.8     18.7    15.3    14.8    -      30.1
Lead
('000 tonnes)      -       3.9      6.6     5.7     6.9     -      12.7
Silver
('000 tonnes)      -       271      431     347     396     -      744

(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.

Zinc grades were relatively high in 2000 and, as expected, they have been
lower in 2001.


Exploration

Expenditure

Total pre-tax exploration expenditure charged to the profit and loss account
for the first half of 2001 was US$54 million compared with US$58 million for
the first half of 2000.


Ongoing Programmes

Country        Commodity       Programme Summary
                               
Indonesia      Copper and      In Block A, delineation drilling continued
               gold            on porphyry gold-copper mineralisation
                               within the Ertsberg intrusion and on
                               extensions to the Kucing Liar skarn system
                               on the periphery of the Grasberg intrusion.

Turkey         Copper and      Drilling continued on the Cukur Dere  gold-
               gold            copper prospect in eastern Turkey in
                               alliance with Anatolia Minerals.

North America  Copper          An agreement was signed allowing Rio Tinto
                               to earn a 55% interest in BHP Billiton's
                               deep high-grade porphyry copper discovery
                               at the Superior mine in Arizona. Drilling
                               of the prospect will commence in July.

South America  Copper          Early encouragement was obtained from
                               reconnaissance drilling of the Shougang
                               option Marcona copper-gold property in
                               southern Peru.

India          Diamonds        First-pass sampling was completed on
                               recently granted reconnaissance permits in
                               Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Guinea         Diamonds        A 500 tonne surface bulk sample was
                               collected from the K23 pipe on the
                               Trivalence option Aredor diamond concession
                               in southeastern Guinea.

Iran           Gold            Further encouragement was obtained from
                               drilling of the Dashkasan bulk tonnage gold
                               prospect in Kurdistan.

Guinea         Iron Ore        Drilling recommenced at the Simandou lump
                               hematite prospect in southeastern Guinea.
China          Nickel          Exploration around the Jinchuan nickel mine
                               commenced in joint venture with the Gansu
                               Qinqi Mineral Company.

Australia      Phosphate       Drilling and metallurgical test work
                               continued at the Wonarah phosphate deposit
                               in the Northern Territory.