Rio Tinto agrees sale of interest in Bengalla Joint Venture for US$606 million

Bengalla is the smallest of three coal mines in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in which Rio Tinto holds an interest, producing 8.6 million tonnes (3.4 million tonnes based on a 40 per cent Rio Tinto share) in 2014.

Rio Tinto has now announced or completed US$4.5 billion of divestments since January 2013, with the agreed sale of its interest in the Bengalla Joint Venture.

Rio Tinto Copper & Coal chief executive Jean-Sébastien Jacques said “This sale will deliver value for our shareholders as we remain focused on continuing to develop the strongest core portfolio of assets in the mining industry.

“It demonstrates our commitment to further strengthening our balance sheet, maintaining a disciplined approach to allocating capital across the Group and delivering strong returns for shareholders through the cycle.

“Bengalla mine is a robust, well-managed business with a productive workforce and we believe it will have a positive future under the new owner with different capital allocation priorities. We expect the business to make a significant and ongoing contribution to the New South Wales economy. Rio Tinto will ensure high safety and environmental standards are maintained through the transition to the new owners.”

Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi Development have recently agreed a simplification to the ownership structure of Coal & Allied which helps enable this transaction. Under the agreement, Rio Tinto will assume 100 per cent ownership of Coal & Allied. Mitsubishi Development will move from holding a 20 per cent stake in Coal & Allied to holding a direct 32.4 per cent stake in the Hunter Valley Operations mine.

Subsequent to the completion of this transaction, Rio Tinto as a 100 per cent owner of Coal & Allied will:

    receive all consideration set out above associated with the sale of Rio Tinto’s interest in the Bengalla Joint Venture;
    hold a 67.6 per cent interest with management rights in the Hunter Valley Operations mine;
    hold interests of 80 per cent and 55.6 per cent respectively, with management rights, in the integrated Mount Thorley and Warkworth operations; and
    hold a 100 per cent interest in the Mount Pleasant project.

The transactions are subject to certain conditions precedent being met, including the pre-emption rights of the Bengalla Joint Venture partners.

The sale of the interest in the Bengalla Joint Venture is expected to close in the first quarter of 2016.