Stmnt re Coal & Allied

Rio Tinto PLC
20 December 2001



           Coal & Allied sells Ravensworth and Narama coal interests

Rio Tinto's 73 per cent owned Coal & Allied Industries Limited has reached
agreement to sell the Ravensworth/ Narama thermal coal complex to ENEX
Resources Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore International AG, for
$US64 million in cash.

The Ravensworth/Narama complex, located in the Hunter Valley in New South
Wales, includes the Ravensworth East operation, Ravensworth West mining
tenements, and Coal & Allied's 50% share of the Narama operation. ENEX
Resources will also purchase land owned by Coal & Allied overlying the
Ravensworth West mining tenements.

The sale is subject to a number of conditions including regulatory approvals
and customer consent to the transfer of coal supply contracts.

Coal & Allied acquired these assets in January 2001 as part of its acquisition
of the Peabody Group's Australian coal assets.

For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                          AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                                 Media Relations

Lisa Cullimore                                  Ian Head

+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2305                           [phone]

Investor Relations                              Investor Relations

Peter Cunningham                                Dave Skinner

+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2401                           [phone]

                                                Daphne Morros

                                                 [phone]


Website: www.riotinto.com