Rio Tinto completes acquisition of Hathor Exploration

Rio Tinto announces that it has, through an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, acquired the remaining 7,944,151 Hathor common shares not already owned by Rio Tinto and its affiliates, representing approximately 5.87 per cent of the outstanding Hathor common shares on a fully-diluted basis, pursuant to a compulsory acquisition under the Canada Business Corporations Act.

Rio Tinto is now the registered holder of 135,290,661 Hathor common shares, representing 100 per cent of the outstanding Hathor common shares on a fully-diluted basis. Accordingly, it is anticipated that the Hathor common shares will be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange effective at the close of business on 12 January 2012. Rio Tinto intends to cause Hathor to apply to the relevant securities commissions for it to cease to be a reporting issuer in all applicable Canadian jurisdictions following the delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange.