Greens Creek mine US$750 m

Rio Tinto PLC
12 February 2008


Rio Tinto reaches agreement to sell interest in Greens Creek mine for US$750
million


12 February 2008


Rio Tinto has reached agreement on the first sale under its planned programme to
divest at least US$15 billion of assets. The Group has signed an agreement to
sell Kennecott Greens Creek Mining Company and Kennecott Juneau Mining Company,
the subsidiaries holding its interests in the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska, to an
affiliate of Hecla Mining Company.

Greens Creek is a silver, gold, zinc and lead underground mine and concentrator
facility on Admiralty Island near Juneau. It is currently a joint venture
between a Rio Tinto Kennecott subsidiary (70.3 per cent) and a Hecla subsidiary
(29.7 per cent).

The sale price is US$750 million. The price comprises a cash component of US$700
million and the balance in Hecla common stock.  Closing is subject to customary
conditions, including expiration of the waiting period under the
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

'The sale of our interests in the Greens Creek Mine is a very positive first
step towards our target of realising asset sales of US$10 billion in 2008,' said
Guy Elliott, chief financial officer of Rio Tinto.

Bret Clayton, Rio Tinto's Copper product group chief executive said, 'Hecla
Mining has for a long time been our joint venture partner and already has a
solid understanding of the mine, the employees, the community and the State.
Hecla is well placed to assume operation of the mine.'

In November 2007, Rio Tinto announced the results of its overall strategic
review of the company's asset portfolio following its acquisition of Alcan.
Options are also being explored to divest Rio Tinto Energy America (coal), Rio
Tinto Minerals' talc business, Rio Tinto Alcan Packaging, Rio Tinto Alcan
Engineered Products, Rio Tinto's interest in the Cortez gold mine in Nevada, Rio
Tinto's Northparkes copper mine in Australia and Rio Tinto's Sweetwater (USA)
and Kintyre (Australia) uranium assets.


About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK,
combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE 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.


About Hecla Mining Company

Hecla Mining Company, headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, mines, processes
and explores for silver and gold in the United States, Venezuela, and Mexico. A
117-year-old company, Hecla has long been well-known in the mining and world
financial markets as a quality producer of silver and gold. Hecla's common and
preferred shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols HL,
HL-PrB, and HL-PrC.


Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included in this announcement, including, without
limitation, those regarding Rio Tinto's financial position, business strategy,
plans and objectives of management for future operations (including development
plans and objectives relating to Rio Tinto's products, production forecasts and
reserve and resource positions), are forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of
Rio Tinto, or industry results, to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Rio
Tinto's present and future business strategies and the environment in which Rio
Tinto will operate in the future. Among the important factors that could cause
Rio Tinto's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially
from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, levels of
actual production during any period, levels of demand and market prices, the
ability to produce and transport products profitably, the impact of foreign
currency exchange rates on market prices and operating costs, operational
problems, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant areas of the
world, the actions of competitors, activities by governmental authorities such
as changes in taxation or regulation and such other risk factors identified in
Rio Tinto's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC or Form
6-Ks furnished to the SEC. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be
construed in light of such risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed
on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of
the date of this announcement. Rio Tinto expressly disclaims any obligation or
undertaking (except as required by applicable law, the City Code on Takeovers
and Mergers (the 'Takeover Code'), the UK Listing Rules, the Disclosure and
Transparency Rules of the Financial Services Authority and the Listing Rules of
the Australian Securities Exchange) to release publicly any updates or revisions
to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Rio
Tinto's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Nothing in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that future earnings
per share of Rio Tinto plc or Rio Tinto Limited will necessarily match or exceed
its historical published earnings per share.

Subject to the requirements of the Takeover Code, none of Rio Tinto, any of its
officers or any person named in this announcement with their consent or any
person involved in the preparation of this announcement makes any representation
or warranty (either express or implied) or gives any assurance that the implied
values, anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in
forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will be achieved.


For further information, please contact:

Media Relations, London                             Media Relations, Australia
Christina Mills                                     Ian Head
Office: [phone]                        Office: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                        Mobile: [phone]

Nick Cobban                                         Amanda Buckley
Office: [phone]                        Office: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]                        Mobile: [phone]

Media Relations, US
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:+ 61 (0) 7 3867 1068
Mobile: [phone]
Investor Relations, North America

Jason Combes
Office: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.riotinto.com

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