Result of Rio Tinto plc Rights Issue

Thursday, 2 July 2009 12:00 AM

On 5 June 2009 Rio Tinto announced Rights Issues consisting of a 21 for 40 Rights Issue of 524,460,478 New Rio Tinto plc Shares at 1,400 pence per share and a 21 for 40 Rights Issue of 150,015,297 New Rio Tinto Limited Shares at A$ 28.29 per share.

Rio Tinto announces that the Rio Tinto plc Rights Issue closed for acceptances at 11.00 a.m. London time on Wednesday, 1 July 2009.

Rio Tinto received valid acceptances in respect of 508,577,688 New Rio Tinto plc Shares, representing approximately 96.97% of the total number of New Rio Tinto plc Shares offered to Shareholders pursuant to the fully underwritten rights issue.

It is expected that the New Rio Tinto plc Shares in uncertificated form will be credited to CREST accounts on Thursday, 2 July 2009, and that definitive share certificates in respect of New Rio Tinto plc Shares in certificated form will be dispatched to Shareholders by Wednesday, 8 July 2009.

It is expected that the New Rio Tinto plc Shares will commence trading fully paid on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities on Thursday, 2 July 2009.

It is also expected that the results of the Rio Tinto Limited Rights Issue (which are not yet available) will be announced on Friday, 3 July 2009.

In accordance with their underwriting obligations in respect of the Rio Tinto plc Rights Issue, Credit Suisse and J.P. Morgan Cazenove will be seeking subscribers for the remaining 15,882,790 New Rio Tinto plc Shares.

If you have further questions, please telephone the Rio Tinto plc Shareholder Helpline or the Rio Tinto Limited Shareholder Helpline on the numbers set out below. The helplines are available from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (London time and Melbourne time, respectively) Monday to Friday (except bank and other public holidays) and are expected to remain open until 22 July 2009 and 24 July 2009, respectively.

Rio Tinto plc Shareholder Helpline
0800 435 021 (from inside the UK)
+44 (0) 870 703 6364 (from outside the UK)

Rio Tinto Limited Shareholder Helpline
1800 813 292 (from inside Australia)
+61 3 9415 4030 (from outside Australia)

Please note that, for legal reasons, the Rio Tinto plc Shareholder Helpline and the Rio Tinto Limited Shareholder Helpline are only able to provide information contained in the Prospectus and information relating to Rio Tinto plc's and Rio Tinto Limited's registers of members and are unable to give advice on the merits of the Rights Issues, or provide legal, financial, tax or investment advice.

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.

For more information contact:

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

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

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, 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

Credit Suisse
James Leigh-Pemberton
Tristan Lovegrove
Office: +44 (0) 20 7888 8888

Credit Suisse (Australia)
Campbell Lobb
Office: +61 (0) 2 8205 4400

J.P. Morgan Cazenove
Charles Harman, Adam Brett,
Jonathan Wilcox
Office: +44 (0) 20 7588 2828

J.P. Morgan Australia
Matthew Roberts
Office: +61 (0) 2 9220 3175

Macquarie
Geoff Joyce, Neil Watson
Office: +61 (0) 2 8232 3333

Email: questions@riotinto.com

Website: www.riotinto.com

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

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