| Rio Tinto Minerals - Boron |
California, US |
Road, rail and port |
Owned |
Deposit discovered in 1925, acquired by Rio Tinto
in 1967 |
Open pit |
On site co-generation units |
| Rio Tinto Minerals - salt (68.4%) |
Dampier, Lake MacLeod and Port Hedland, Western Australia |
Road and port |
State agreements (mining leases) expiring in 2013
at Dampier, 2018 at Port Hedland and 2021 at Lake MacLeod with options
to renew in each case |
Construction of the Dampier field started in 1969;
first shipment in 1972. Lake MacLeod was acquired in 1978 as an operating
field. Port Hedland was acquired in 2001 as an operating field |
Solar evaporation of seawater (Dampier and Port Hedland)
and underground brine (Lake MacLeod); dredging of gypsum from surface of
Lake MacLeod |
Dampier supply from Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd; Lake MacLeod
from Western Power and on site generation units; Port Hedland from Western
Power |
| Rio Tinto Minerals - talc |
Trimouns, France (other smaller operations in Australia,
Europe and North America) |
Road and rail |
Owner of ground (orebody) and long term lease agreement
to 2012 |
Production started in 1885; acquired in 1988. (Australian
mine acquired in 2001) |
Open pit |
Supplied by Atel and on site generation units. Australian
mine power supplied by Western Power |
| QIT-Fer et Titane |
The Saguenay, Quebec, Canada |
Rail and port (St Lawrence River) |
Mining covered by two concessions granted by State
in 1949 and 1951 which, subject to certain Mining Act restrictions, confer
rights and obligations of an owner |
Production started in 1950; interest acquired in 1989 |
Open pit |
Long term contract with Hydro-Quebec |
| Richards Bay Minerals (50%) |
Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
Rail, road and port |
Long term renewable mineral leases; State lease for
Reserve 4 initially runs to the end of 2022; Ingonyama Trust lease for
Reserve 10 runs to 2010. Both mineral leases are required to be converted
to new order mining rights by 30 April 2009 in terms of South African legislation.
An application for conversion was made in 2006 for the Ingonyama Trust
mineral lease, and an application will be made by mid 2008 for the conversion
of the State mineral lease |
Production started in 1977; interest acquired in 1989.
Fifth dredge commissioned in 2000 |
Beach sand dredging |
Contract with ESKOM |
