U.S. Federal Trade Commission Requests Additional Information on Jacobs Ranch Transaction

LONDON--(Business Wire)--
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.

Rio Tinto
Media Relations, London
Nick Cobban
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1138
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 041 003
or
Christina Mills
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 1154
Mobile: +44 (0) 7825 275 605
or
Media Relations, Americas
Tony Shaffer
Office: +1 202 393 0266
Mobile: +1 202 256 3667
or
Media Relations, Australia
Amanda Buckley
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3627
Mobile: +61 (0) 419 801 349
or
Ian Head
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3620
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 360 101
or
Investor Relations, London
Nigel Jones
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2049
Mobile: +44 (0) 7917 227365
or
David Ovington
Office: +44 (0) 20 7781 2051
Mobile: +44 (0) 7920 010 978
or
Investor Relations, North America
Jason Combes
Office: +1 801 204 2919
Mobile: +1 801 558 2645
or
Investor Relations, Australia
Dave Skinner
Office: +61 (0) 3 9283 3628
Mobile: +61 (0) 408 335 309
or
Simon Ellinor
Office: +61 (0) 7 3867 1607
Mobile: +61 (0) 439 102 811

Email: questions@riotinto.com
Website: www.riotinto.com

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Copyright Business Wire 2009