Rio Tinto to acquire Hathor Exploration

5 December 2011: Rio Tinto has successfully managed its bid to acquire Hathor Exploration and will move towards completing the transaction. All of the conditions of the offer, made through an indirect wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, have been satisfied.  Approximately 94,950,089 Hathor common shares were validly tendered by shareholders or held by an affiliate of Rio Tinto, representing 70.21 per cent of the outstanding Hathor common shares on a fully diluted basis.

The company has also extended its offer to acquire all the common shares of Hathor for C$4.70 in cash by 10 days in order to allow the remaining Hathor shareholders sufficient time to tender their shares to the offer. The offer is now due to expire at 5:00 pm (Toronto time) on 12 December 2011, unless further extended. A notice of extension will be mailed to Hathor shareholders and filed on SEDAR. Rio Tinto intends to take up any common shares validly deposited on a daily basis and will pay for such shares within three business days of deposit.