Comalco Quarterly Production Report

RIO TINTO PLC
25 October 1999

Rio Tinto plc
7 St James's Square
London SW1Y 4LD

Telephone [phone]     Fax  [phone]

Registered Office:  6 St James's Square London SW1Y 4LD
Registered in England No. 719885

The following was announced by Comalco Limited on 25th October 1999.

     Production report for the quarter ended 30 September 1999


               Third   Fourth  First   Second  Third   First   First
               Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter nine    nine
               1998    1998    1999    1999    1999    months  months
                                                       1998    1999

('000 tonnes)
Mining & Refining
Weipa mine,
Queensland
(Comalco 100%):
Beneficiated
bauxite
production
               2,464   2,716   2,931   2,675   2,784   6,592   8,390
Metal grade
bauxite
shipments
               2,319   2,612   2,513   2,665   3,019   7,177   8,197
Calcined
bauxite
production     30      47      20      32      27      86      78

Boke mine,
Guinea (Comalco 4%):
Bauxite
production     110     159     107     104     53      270     265
Queensland
Alumina
Limited,
Queensland
(Comalco 30.3%)
Alumina
production     281     276     272     274     277     784     823

Eurallumina SpA, Sardinia
(Comalco 56.2%)
Alumina
production     133     134     130     133     142     389     405

Smelting
Primary
aluminium
production:
Bell Bay, Tasmania
(Comalco
100%)          36.4    36.4    37.0    37.2    37.9    105.5   112.1
Boyne Island,
Queensland
(Comalco 54.2%)
               64.8    65.7    64.2    66.8    68.0    191.6   199.0
Tiwai Point,
New Zealand
(Comalco 79.4%)
               63.8    64.2    63.1    64.5    65.6    187.9   193.3
Total Comalco
share          164.9   166.2   164.3   168.5   171.6   485.0   504.4

Total sales of
Comalco produced
aluminium      161.9   174.1   167.3   166.6   169.3   485.7   503.1

Weipa production and shipments remain strong due to the upgrade in
1998  and  requirements at Queensland Alumina Limited, Eurallumina
SpA and in international markets.

Queensland  Alumina  Limited and Eurallumina SpA  achieved  record
production as process improvements continue.

The  Bell  Bay, Boyne Island and Tiwai Point smelters all achieved
record  daily  average production.  Production gains  from  higher
amperages and process improvements continue.  All cells have  been
online at Boyne Island Line 3 since late April 1999.

For further information, please contact:


Media Relations                            Investor Relations
Geoffrey Ewing                             Dave Skinner
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