Coal & Allied - 4 QPR2007

Rio Tinto PLC
16 January 2008

Date: 16 January 2008

Ref: PR598g



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 31 December 2007


                                       CNA       4Q       1Q       2Q       3Q       4Q 12 months 12 months
'000 tonnes (100% basis)          interest     2006     2007     2007     2007     2007      2006      2007
Hunter Valley Operations              100%
Thermal coal production                       2,264    2,316    2,020    1,883    2,046    10,221     8,264
Semi-soft coking coal production                616      331      381      460      657     1,804     1,830
Bengalla Mine                          40%
Thermal coal production                       1,433    1,315    1,070    1,394    1,376     5,545     5,155
Mount Thorley Operations (a)           80%
Thermal coal production                         857      657      280      261      731     2,902     1,929
Semi-soft coking coal production                124      163      137      393      302       993       995
Warkworth Mine (a)                   55.6%
Thermal coal production                       1,686    1,343    1,172    1,663    1,197     7,014     5,376
Semi-soft coking coal production                130       51      216      133        0       327       400
Total coal production                         7,110    6,177    5,276    6,186    6,310    28,806    23,949
Total sales (b)                               6,450    6,671    5,725    6,218    6,908    27,634    25,522
Coal & Allied share
Coal production                               5,248    4,605    3,934    4,422    4,746    21,439    17,706
Coal sales ('000 tonnes)                      4,769    4,995    4,320    4,531    5,087    20,410    18,933





(a)     Production can be sourced from either mining lease and is allocated over
the year based on the tonnage commitment ratio contractually agreed between the
Mount Thorley and Warkworth joint ventures.

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

Production figures are sometimes more precise than the rounded numbers shown,
hence small differences may result between the total of the quarter figures and
the full year figures.







Production

Constraints in the Hunter Valley coal chain continued to limit coal production.
Total coal produced in the fourth quarter was 11 per cent lower than the
corresponding quarter in 2006 and two per cent higher than the third quarter of
2007. There were no material operational issues impacting on Q4 production.



2007 full year total coal production was 17 per cent lower than 2006 due to coal
chain infrastructure constraints and severe weather conditions in June 2007.



Sales

Coal sales in the fourth quarter were in line with allocated port capacity. 2007
total sales were seven percent higher than production as a result of drawing
down of inventories.



Other

There was no exploration activity during the quarter.





About Rio Tinto



Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK,
combining Rio Tinto plc, a London listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which
is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.



Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major
products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold,
industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore.
Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North
America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern
Africa.



For further information, please contact:
Media Relations, London                               Media Relations, Australia

Christina Mills                                       Amanda Buckley

Office: [phone]                          Office:  [phone]

Mobile: [phone]                          Mobile: [phone]

Nick Cobban                                           Ian Head

Office:  [phone]                         Office:  [phone]

Mobile: [phone]                          Mobile: [phone]
Media Relations, Americas

Nancy Ives

Mobile:  [phone]
Investor Relations, London                            Investor Relations, Australia

Nigel Jones                                           Dave Skinner

Office:   [phone]                        Office:  [phone]

Mobile: [phone]                           Mobile: [phone]

David Ovington                                        Simon Ellinor

Office:  [phone]                         Office:  [phone]

Mobile: [phone]                          Mobile: [phone]

                                                      Investor Relations, North America

                                                      Jason Combes

                                                      Office:  [phone]

                                                      Mobile: [phone]



Email:  [e-mail]



Website:  www.riotinto.com

High resolution photographs available at: www.newscast.co.uk




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