Stmt re Kaltim Prima Coal

Rio Tinto PLC
01 August 2002



               KPC Offered 51% Shares to Government of Indonesia





PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) is pleased to advise that, as of yesterday, the
Attachment Orders over the KPC shares have been formally lifted and that an
application to withdraw the civil case against KPC has been lodged with the
District Court of South Jakarta.



As a result, KPC yesterday offered 51% of KPC shares to the Government of
Indonesia at a price of US$419.22 million subject to finalization of the
detailed terms and conditions applying to this offer by close of business on
Monday 5 August 2002.





For further information, please contact:


LONDON                                                  AUSTRALIA
Media Relations                                         Media Relations
Hugh Leggatt                                            Ian Head
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2273                                   [phone]

Investor Relations                                      Investor Relations
Peter Cunningham                                        Dave Skinner
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2401                                   [phone]
Richard Brimelow                                        Daphne Morros
+ 44 (0) 20 7753 2326                                    [phone]


Website: www.riotinto.com





Note to editors



Rio Tinto has a 50 per cent Joint Venture interest in Kaltim Prima Coal.






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