Rio Tinto Iron interests are embraced by Comalco operations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Guinea.

In its mineral form, bauxite, aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. Mined bauxite is refined into alumina which is smelted into aluminium. A modern material and relative newcomer to the family of commercial metals, aluminium is one of the most useful and important metals known to humankind.

Rio Tinto's Aluminium group encompasses its wholly owned, integrated aluminium subsidiary, Comalco, and Anglesey Aluminium smelter in the UK.

In 2003, the Aluminium group contributed 16 per cent of Group turnover and 14 per cent of adjusted earnings.

Rio Tinto Minerals' businesses include the Borax operations in Europe and North America, Luzenac (talc) operations in Europe, North America and Australia, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium interests in Canada and South Africa, and Dampier Salt in Australia.

Industrial minerals produced by Rio Tinto are the raw materials for hundreds of everyday products and processes that improve our lives.

Rio Tinto's Industrial Minerals group produces borates, industrial salt, talc and titanium dioxide feedstock. Rio Tinto Borax, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium, Luzenac's talc operations and Dampier Salt, its principal businesses, are leading suppliers of their respective products.

The Industrial Minerals group employed approximately 7,000 people in 2003.

In 2003, the Industrial Minerals group contributed approximately 15 per cent of Rio Tinto's turnover and 11 per cent of adjusted earnings.

Rio Tinto Energy is represented in coal by Coal & Allied Industries and Rio Tinto Coal Australia, and Rio Tinto Energy America's operations in the US. It also encompasses uranium interests in Energy Resources of Australia and the Rössing Uranium mine in Namibia.

Coal is the major source of electrical power around the globe and an important source of energy for iron and steel-making. Rio Tinto is one of the world's leading producers, with major interests in coal mines in the US and Australia, and holdings in uranium for nuclear power.

Rio Tinto Energy group's coal interests supply internationally traded and domestic US and Australian markets. The group also includes Rössing in Namibia and Energy Resources of Australia. Both companies supply uranium oxide for use in electricity generation.

In 2003, the Energy group contributed 20 per cent of Rio Tinto's turnover and 11 per cent of adjusted earnings.

Our Copper group interests include Kennecott Utah Copper (US), Northparkes in Australia, Palabora in South Africa, the operations of Kennecott Minerals in North America, Escondida in Chile, and the Grasberg joint venture in Indonesia.

The use of copper and its principal alloys, bronze and brass, encompasses human progress since the Stone Age 60 centuries ago. The greatest copper deposit ever found, at Rio Tinto in Spain, supplied the Roman Empire and gave its name to the company. Copper has always been on the forefront of technology, a role continuing today with consumption of more than 15 million tonnes of the metal each year.

Rio Tinto's Copper group comprises Kennecott Utah Copper in the US and interests in the copper mines of Escondida in Chile, Grasberg in Indonesia, Northparkes in Australia and Palabora in South Africa, Australia and Palabora in South Africa.

In 2003, the Copper group, which also produces gold as a significant co-product, contributed approximately 23 per cent of Rio Tinto's turnover, of which 55 per cent was from copper and the remainder mostly from gold. It accounted for 32 per cent of adjusted earnings in 2003.

Rio Tinto Aluminium's interests are embraced by Comalco operations in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Guinea.

In its mineral form, bauxite, aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. Mined bauxite is refined into alumina which is smelted into aluminium. A modern material and relative newcomer to the family of commercial metals, aluminium is one of the most useful and important metals known to humankind.

Rio Tinto's Aluminium group encompasses its wholly owned, integrated aluminium subsidiary, Comalco, and Anglesey Aluminium smelter in the UK.

In 2003, the Aluminium group contributed 16 per cent of Group turnover and 14 per cent of adjusted earnings.

Rio Tinto Diamonds' interests comprise Argyle Diamonds (Australia), Diavik Diamonds (Canada) and the Murowa project in Zimbabwe.

Rio Tinto has established a firm base for growth in the world diamond industry by creating a market niche for smaller gems. This is an example of how customer focus has added value through the company working with buyers to give buyers the products they want. Rio Tinto's Diamonds group includes diamond interests in Australia, Canada and Zimbabwe, with diamond sales offices in Belgium and India.

Rio Tinto owns and operates the Argyle Diamond mine in Western Australia, famous for its pink diamonds sold by an international tender process. Though accounting for 90 per cent of world output of pink diamonds, they represent less than one per cent of the mine's output. Rio Tinto also owns a 60 per cent interest in and manages the Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada, 200km south of the Arctic Circle.

Rio Tinto's Technology group, Operational and Technical Excellence, provides technical assistance to Rio Tinto's product groups and their businesses, supports corporate policy development, and advises executive management.

OTX provides technical assistance to Rio Tinto's product groups and their businesses, supports corporate policy development, and advises executive management. A key focus is to identify and implement best practices to improve performance, maximise efficiency and add value across Rio Tinto.

OTX staff include experienced professionals covering all the main industry related disciplines while the Office of Rio Tinto's Chief Technologist manages the Group's involvement in external and collaborative research.

Rio Tinto Exploration seeks to discover or identify mineral resources that will contribute to the growth of the Rio Tinto Group.

The Exploration group is opportunistic in approach and its resources are deployed on projects that show the best chance of delivering a world class deposit to Rio Tinto. Mineral exploration is a high risk activity. Rio Tinto's statistics show that an average of only one in 350 mineral prospects that are drill tested result in a mine for the Group. Rio Tinto believes in having a critical mass of projects, selected through a rigorous process of prioritisation.

The Exploration group is organised into four geographically based teams and a fifth team that looks for industrial minerals on a global basis. Additionally, a small focused project generation team covers the world for new opportunities.

At the end of 2003, Rio Tinto was exploring in 30 countries for a broad range of commodities including copper, diamonds, nickel, industrial minerals, gold, bauxite, iron ore and coal. Exploration employs 189 geologists and geophysicists around the world and has a total staff of approximately 670 people.