Coal & Allied - 3QPR 2006

Rio Tinto PLC
18 October 2006

Rio Tinto's 75.7 per cent owned subsidiary, Coal & Allied Industries Limited,
issued the following news release in Australia. All dollars are Australian
currency.





Coal & Allied production report for the quarter ended 30 September 2006

                                          CNA     3Q        4Q        1Q        2Q        3Q    9 MTHS    9 MTHS
'000 tonnes (100% basis)             Interest   2005      2005      2006      2006      2006      2005      2006
Hunter Valley Operations                 100%

Thermal coal production                        2,429     2,651     2,386     3,136     2,435     7,690     7,957
Semi-soft coking coal production                 555       378       419       350       419     1,656     1,188
Mount Thorley Operations                  80%

Thermal coal production                          836       529       969       582       494     2,166     2,045
Semi-soft coking coal production                 261       281       291       325       253       986       869

Bengalla Mine                             40%

Thermal coal production                        1,208     2,053     1,088     1,406     1,618     3,912     4,112
Warkworth Mine                           55.6

Thermal coal production                        1,736     1,495     1,759     1,766     1,803     4,451     5,328
Semi-soft coking coal production                  85        67        11        96        90       280       197

Total coal production                          7,110     7,454     6,923     7,661     7,112    21,141    21,696

Total sales ('000 tonnes)(a)                   7,088     7,529     7,306     6,850     7,028    21,512    21,184

Coal & Allied share:
Share of coal production                       5,357     5,365     5,231     5,809     5,151    16,064    16,191
Share of coal sales                            5,351     5,573     5,528     5,116     4,997    16,377    15,641


(a)     Sales relate only to coal mined by the operations and exclude traded
coal.

Mt Thorley Operations and the Warkworth mine have operated as a single
integrated operation since 22 January 2004.  Production figures are sometimes
more precise than the rounded numbers shown, hence small difference may result
between the total of the quarter figures and the full year figures.





Total coal production was at similar levels to the corresponding period in 2005
and seven per cent lower than the previous quarter.  Production across the three
sites was aligned with the port and rail allocation.


During the quarter, coal producers in the Hunter Valley voted not to continue
with the capacity balancing system in 2007.  This will allow the Port of
Newcastle to operate on a take or pay basis and as a result, PWCS customers will
not have their coal handling requirements reduced to match the capacity of the
coal chain.


There was no exploration activity during the quarter.





For further information, please contact:

LONDON                                               AUSTRALIA

Media Relations                                      Media Relations
Nick Cobban                                          Ian Head
Office:  [phone]                        Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]


Investor Relations                                   Investor Relations
Nigel Jones                                          Dave Skinner
Office: [phone]                         Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]


David Ovington                                       Susie Creswell
Office:  [phone]                        Office:  [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                         Mobile: [phone]


Website: www.riotinto.com
High resolution photographs available at: www.newscast.co.uk



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