Wire Stories

Rio Tinto provides update on Oyu Tolgoi project

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rio Tinto is working with the Government of Mongolia to ensure Oyu Tolgoi is operating in accordance with the restrictions the Mongolian authorities have put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. The first priority of the Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi teams is the health and safety of all of our employees, contractors and the wider community.

Since January the movement of goods and people within Mongolia have been restricted within and across its border and this has further escalated recently as the first case of COVID-19 has occurred in the country.

Work on the Underground Project continues, however, progress is being slowed as a result of these measures. There is restricted access for teams from Rio Tinto, Oyu Tolgoi and our construction partners to oversee development and provide specialist technical services. The availability of specialist service providers at the site is essential to safely continue work on technical activities such as the headframe commissioning of Shafts 3 and 4.

The full impact of the slowdown on the Underground Project is unknown at this time and the company will update the market once more information is available. The mine design for the Underground Project currently remains on track to be completed in the first half of this year, with a definitive estimate to be provided for the development of this world-class orebody in the second half of 2020.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, the open pit of the Oyu Tolgoi mine continues to operate and deliver shipments of copper concentrate to its customers.

Rio Tinto Copper & Diamonds chief executive Arnaud Soirat said “Our focus is on ensuring the safety and health of all of our people at Oyu Tolgoi and we support the decisive action taken by the government to limit the spread of COVID-19. It has inevitably resulted in a restriction on the movement of goods and people in the country and this is slowing down construction activity at the Underground Project. It is too early to determine the impact of this and the team is doing all they can to minimise the disruption in a challenging environment. We will continue to work with our suppliers, customers and the government.”

Contacts

[email protected]
riotinto.com

Follow @RioTinto on Twitter

Media Relations, United Kingdom
Illtud Harri

M +44 7920 503 600

David Outhwaite

T +44 20 7781 1623

M +44 7787 597 493

Media Relations, Americas
Matthew Klar

T +1 514 608 4429

Media Relations, Asia
Grant Donald

T +65 6679 9290

M +65 9722 6028

Media Relations, Australia
Jonathan Rose

T +61 3 9283 3088

M +61 447 028 913

Matt Chambers

T +61 3 9283 3087

M +61 433 525 739

Jesse Riseborough

T +61 8 6211 6013

M +61 436 653 412

Investor Relations, United Kingdom
Menno Sanderse

T: +44 20 7781 1517

M: +44 7825 195 178

David Ovington

T +44 20 7781 2051

M +44 7920 010 978

Investor Relations, Australia
Natalie Worley

T +61 3 9283 3063

M +61 409 210 462

Amar Jambaa

T +61 3 9283 3627

M +61 472 865 948

Group Company Secretary
Steve Allen

Rio Tinto plc
6 St James’s Square

London SW1Y 4AD

United Kingdom

T +44 20 7781 2000

Registered in England

No. 719885

Joint Company Secretary
Tim Paine

Rio Tinto Limited
Level 7, 360 Collins Street

Melbourne 3000

Australia

T +61 3 9283 3333

Registered in Australia

ABN 96 004 458 404

This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Rio Tinto’s Group Company Secretary.

Category: Oyu Tolgoi

To Top