Rio Tinto Plc · LSE:RIO

Rio Tinto — Corporate Update (September 2006)

9 slides from Rio Tinto's corporate update, Sep 14, 2006

  1. Slide 1: Rio Tinto Minerals Commercial Overview

    Rio Tinto Minerals Commercial Overview Kent Cutler Vice President Sales, Americas September 14, 2006 Page 1 For the purposes of the Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor provisions of the US securities laws This presentation contains statements which constitute forward-looking statements within the

  2. Slide 2: Minerals that make a difference

    Minerals that make a difference ƒ Lower energy use and emissions in production and use of insulation fiberglass ƒ Lower energy use and emissions; improve durability in ceramics ƒ Safeguard wood building materials from termites and decay; protect and add structural integrity to wood composites ƒ Lowe

  3. Slide 3: People and Solutions that make a difference

    People who make a difference ƒ Streamlined, highly knowledgeable commercial organization ƒ Marketing team centralized in London with Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium ƒ Sales teams organized by region; cross-pollination of product and market expertise ƒ Research team developing existing applications, suppor

  4. Slide 4: Salt market overview – supply and demand

    Salt market overview – supply ƒ Produced in ~120 countries from reserves of 100 trillion tonnes – Rock salt – shaft or solution mine buried “salt dome” deposits – Brine – solar or mechanical evaporation of seawater, lakes ƒ Low value commodity – deposit, infrastructure, transportation critical to co

  5. Slide 5: Rio Tinto Minerals' salt business; talc market supply

    Rio Tinto Minerals’ salt business ƒ Managed by Rio Tinto Minerals with 65% interest ƒ Annual production of 7.8mt salt; 1.3mt gypsum ƒ ~50% salt sold to chlor-alkali producers in Asia, ME ƒ Major competitors = Mitsubishi (Mexico), Mitsui (Australia) ƒ Challenges: – Adverse weather conditions = decrea

  6. Slide 6: Talc market demand; Rio Tinto Minerals' talc business

    Talc market overview – demand ƒ Mature markets – Diversified product portfolio and wide range of uses mitigates isolated market downturns – Focus on Asian markets emulating formulation trends in Europe and the US ƒ Key demand drivers – New car sales – Housing starts Four key Paper markets – Advertis

  7. Slide 7: Borate market overview – supply and demand

    Borate market overview – supply ƒ Two primary producers account for 73% of reserves – Two large sodium borate producers – Many non-sodium borate producers ƒ Total market demand currently ~1,500kt of contained B2O3, Nearly 75% of global RTM Eti production Chinese producers from two SA producers mines

  8. Slide 8: Rio Tinto Minerals' borate business; competitors shifting to refined products

    Rio Tinto Minerals’ borate business ƒ Annual production of 1mt of product (560kt of contained B2O3) ƒ Building capacity to supply market growth ƒ Hundreds of applications; top five account for 70% ƒ Challenges: – Product substitution: reformulation or switching to minerals – Potential regulatory res

  9. Slide 9: Strategy aligned to market realities; Focus on creating value

    Strategy aligned to market realities Sodium borates ƒ Organic growth, faster depletion of domestic reserves in China may create market tightness Non-sodium borates ƒ Regional pockets of tightness as well as oversupply All borates ƒ Pricing progression ƒ Focus on emerging markets, developing new appl

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