Rio Tinto’s copper division
head Andrew Harding has said that Oyutolgoi was on track to launch in late
2012, ahead of the so far estimated 2013. In the third quarter this year, Rio
produced a record amount of iron ore, but copper output fell 19 percent. It
said that copper output would fall 18 percent to 661,000 tons this year, and
decline 10 percent next year. The outlook would be bright for its copper unit
once the Mongolian project goes on steam.