Rio Tinto and Robe River

Rio Tinto PLC
13 January 2004            



Rio Tinto and Robe River progress on Pilbara cooperation



Rio Tinto has reached agreement in principle with the Robe River Joint Venture
Participants to allow for closer cooperation between the iron ore operations of
Hamersley Iron and Robe in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.



Under the agreement, the existing separate structures of Hamersley and Robe will
continue. Each business will continue to have its own decision making processes
and will make its own independent decisions.  In particular:

-  there will be no change to the ownership of Robe or Hamersley Iron
   or to the ownership of their respective assets;

-  Robe River Mining Company will continue to employ its own managing
   director and operations general manager and continue to be the manager of the
   Robe River joint venture; and

-  Robe River Limited will continue to be responsible for the
   management and marketing of Robe's iron ore sales.


In addition to preserving the important structural elements above, the agreement
allows for:

-   continued cooperation and common usage of rail infrastructure;

-   closer cooperation and common usage of infrastructure areas such as
    port and power; and

-   closer cooperation in relation to the management of non
    infrastructure assets (including mobile and other mining equipment) and site 
    and corporate services.


New entities will be formed to facilitate the implementation of the agreement.
The entities will collectively be referred to as Pilbara Iron. Pilbara Iron will
be responsible for operating and maintaining all of Hamersley's and Robe's rail,
port, power and non-infrastructure assets as well as providing corporate and
site services.



Rio Tinto and the Robe River Joint Venture participants are working towards
final documentation of the agreement.  Implementation will be subject to
obtaining any necessary Government approvals.





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                                     Daphne Morros

Office:  [phone]                        Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]


Website: www.riotinto.com




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