Rio Tinto: U.S. Federal Trade Commission requests additional information on Jacobs Ranch transaction

Rio Tinto: U.S. Federal Trade Commission requests additional information on Jacobs Ranch transaction

Rio Tinto: U.S. Federal Trade Commission requests additional information on Jacobs Ranch transaction

Rio Tinto has received a request from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for additional information on the pending sale of its Jacobs Ranch coal mine to Arch Coal, Inc. The company will continue to work cooperatively with the FTC and respond expeditiously to this request. Completion of the transaction remains subject to the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Act.

On 9 March 2009, Rio Tinto announced it had reached an agreement to sell Jacobs Ranch to Arch Coal for a total cash consideration of US$761 million.

About Jacobs Ranch Mine
Jacobs Ranch mine, located approximately 55 miles south of Gillette, Wyoming, extracts steam coal from the Wyodak Seams, using dragline and truck-and-shovel methods. Two products are produced from the Jacobs Ranch mine with varying sulphur content. The mine shipped 42.1 million tons of coal in 2008 with an estimated average as delivered heat value of approximately 8,800 Btu, ash content of 5.4% and sulphur content of 0.45% (1.0 lbs SO2/mmBtu). Jacobs Ranch had approximately 381 million tons of proven and probable reserves at December 31, 2008.

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 Arch Coal, Inc.
St. Louis-based Arch Coal is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange, and one of the largest coal producers in the United States. Arch focuses on high-quality, low-sulphur thermal coal deposits and supplies coal from 11 mining complexes in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia prior to this acquisition.

Contacts:

Media Relations London

Christina Mills
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1154
Mobile: +44 (0) 7825 275 605

Nick Cobban
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1138
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 041 003

Media Relations, US

Tony Shaffer
Office: +1 202 393 0266
Mobile: +1 202 256 3667

Media Relations, Australia

Amanda Buckley
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3627
Mobile: +61 (0) 419 801 349

Ian Head
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3620
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 360 101

Investor Relations, London

Nigel Jones
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2049
Mobile: +44 (0) 7917 227 365

David Ovington
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2051
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 010 978

Investor Relations, North America

Jason Combes
Office: +1 (0) 801 204 2919
Mobile: +1 (0) 801 558 2645

Investor Relations, Australia

Dave Skinner
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3628
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 335 309

Simon Ellinor
Office: +61 (0) 7 3361 4365
Mobile: +61 (0) 439 102 811

Further information:

Email: questions@riotinto.com

Website: www.riotinto.com

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