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Press Release

New leadership at world class Simandou project

11 January 2008

Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese has announced the appointment of Dr David Smith, currently Pilbara Iron managing director, as head of the world class Simandou project in Guinea, West Africa, setting it on track to become one of the world’s great mining provinces.

Dr Smith will take up his post as managing director and president Simandou in March and will be based in the Guinean capital Conakry. Dr Smith, currently responsible for all mine operations in the Pilbara, has a wide career spanning nearly 30 years with Rio Tinto.


“The strategic importance of Simandou for Rio Tinto cannot be overstated, given the size and quality of the deposit and the market opportunity, but its importance to the people of Guinea is even more profound. Dr Smith’s appointment, with his long association with industry and community groups and his strong support for training and employment programs, will ensure Simandou is developed in a sustainable, beneficial manner for both the Guinean community and the Rio Tinto shareholders,” Mr Albanese said.


Rio Tinto’s pre-feasibility study into the development of a 70 million tonne per annum mine at Simandou is well advanced. Its development would make it one of the largest iron ore mines and there are future plans to make it even larger, to 170 million tonne per annum.

“Simandou is a major new iron ore province, and promises to have the same exciting potential as the Pilbara of the 1960s,” said Sam Walsh, chief executive of Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

“Dr Smith has considerable experience and a range of attributes to ensure the Simandou project is accelerated. He has been a senior executive with a number of our operational and technology businesses, has had considerable community and non-mining involvement and has previously lived and worked in Africa.”



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