Comalco Quarterly Production Report - 31 Dec 1999

Rio Tinto PLC
25 January 2000



  Comalco Limited Production Report for the quarter ended 31 December 1999

                         Fourth  First   Second  Third   Fourth  Full  Full
                         quarter quarter quarter quarter quarter Year  Year
                         1998    1999    1999    1999    1999    1998  1999
                            
('000 tonnes)   
                                                 
Mining & Refining                                                
Weipa mine, Queensland                                           
(Comalco 100%):
   Beneficiated bauxite  2,716   2,931    2,675  2,784   2,997   9,308 11,386
   production                        
   Metal grade bauxite   2,612   2,513    2,665  3,019   2,997   9,787 11,194
   shipments                       
   Calcined bauxite         47      20       32     27      34     133    112
   production
                                                                 
Boke mine, Guinea                                                
(Comalco 4%):
   Bauxite production      159     107      104     53     177     429    441
                                                                 
Queensland Alumina                                               
Limited,
Queensland (Comalco 30.3%)
   Alumina production      276     272      274    277     279   1,058  1,101
                                                                 
Eurallumina SpA,                                                 
Sardinia
(Comalco 56.2%)                                                  
   Alumina production      134     130      133    142     141     520    546
                                                                 
Smelting                                                         
Primary aluminium                                                
production:
   Bell Bay, Tasmania     36.4    37.0     37.2   37.9    39.0   141.9  151.1
(Comalco 100%)            
   Boyne Island,          65.7    64.2     66.8   68.0    68.7   257.3  267.7
Queensland(Comalco 54.2%)
   Tiwai Point, New       64.2    63.1     64.5   65.6    66.1   252.0  259.4
Zealand(Comalco 79.4%)
Total Comalco share      166.2   164.3    168.5  171.6   173.8   651.2  678.2
                                 
                                                                 
Total sales of Comalco   174.1   167.3    166.6  169.3   173.3   659.8  676.5
produced aluminium               
                                                                 

Weipa  achieved record production and shipments in 1999 as  it
continued  to  benefit  from the 1998  upgrade  and  increased
demand from bauxite customers.

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

The  Bell  Bay,  Boyne  Island and Tiwai  Point  smelters  all
achieved record daily average aluminium production. Production
gains  were  achieved  by  all three smelters  due  to  higher
amperages and ongoing process improvements.

For further information contact:

Media Relations                    Investor Relations
Alexis Fernandez                   Peter Jarvis
+ 44 207 753 2305                  + 44 207 753 2401