Re Agreement

Rio Tinto PLC
21 March 2001


Coal & Allied Industries, an Australian public company, which is 70.9 per
cent owned by Rio Tinto, issued the following in Australia today.
 
                                                                              
              Agreement by Coal & Allied Industries to purchase               
                 20 per cent interest in Warkworth Coal Mine                  
 
 
Coal & Allied Industries Limited announced today that it has reached
agreement with Ticor Limited for the purchase of Ticor's 20 per cent share of
the Warkworth mine in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, for a sale price of
A$87.5 million, net of debt.
 
The sale, which is effective from 29 January 2001, is subject to pre-emptive
rights held by other shareholders of Warkworth.
 
If Coal & Allied purchases the total Ticor shareholding of 20 per cent, this
will increase the company's interest in the Warkworth mine to 63.75 per cent.
 
 
For further information, please contact:
 
 
LONDON 
 
Media Relations                     Investor Relations 
John Hughes                         Peter Jarvis
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2331               + 44 (0) 20 7753 2401
 
                                    Jonathan Murrin
                                    + 44 (0) 20 7753 2326
AUSTRALIA 
 
Media Relations                     Investor Relations 
Ian Head                            Dave Skinner
[phone]                 [phone]
                              
                                    Daphne Morros
                                    [phone]
Website: www.riotinto.com