Our fi rst underground operators share their

experiences

4Our fi rst underground operators share their

experiences

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ARGYLE DIAMONDS UPDATE | DECEMBER 2012

3  Argyle at Golden Gecko Awards 5 Lifesaving Rule

photo competition 6 Pinks Diamond’s global sparkle 7 Big changes at the

Village

Welcome It is hard to believe that we are end of another year, and one that has proven to be very eventful for the Diamonds group and for Argyle. We have had a few surprises, including the announcement by Rio Tinto of the divestment of the diamonds group and also the rightsizing of Argyle as we prepared the business for the future and improved our fi nancial position.We have taken on many challenges including signifi cant cost reduction efforts, learning to cope with less support resources, performing separation work activities, learning about new operating principles and preparing the business for our new underground mine.

The most positive aspect about 2012 has been our operational performance. I am very pleased and we should all be proud of the extremely positive results we have achieved. Our key performance indicators are nearly all green (with the exception of our safety target) and the sight of our scoreboard at the entry to the mine site showing this was a proud moment for us all. This effort lays the foundation for next year as we start our new underground mine. The process plant in particular has shown a steady improvement throughout the year, achieving more than 9 million tonnes per annum rates towards the end of the year, a real credit to the processing team.

2013 will be an exciting year as we take ownership of our new mine, complete some of the surface rejuvenation and continue to work through the separation process. Our underground operational readiness is well on track as we prepare to commence operations towards the end of quarter one next year. This commencement of operations underground has been many years in the making, and will be a proud and symbolic moment for all those who work at Argyle, for Rio Tinto and for our community who have waited a long time for this moment. I look forward to next year as we go on this new journey together.

Kim TruterManaging DirectorArgyle Diamonds

showing this was a proud moment for us all. This effort lays the foundation for next year as we start our new underground mine. The process plant in particular has shown a steady improvement throughout the year, achieving more than 9 million tonnes per annum rates towards the end of the year, a real credit to the processing team.

2013 will be an exciting year as we take ownership of our new mine, complete some of the surface rejuvenation and continue to work through the separation process. Our underground operational readiness is well on track as we prepare to commence operations towards the end of quarter one next year. This commencement of operations underground has been many years in the making, and will be a proud and symbolic moment for all those who work at Argyle, for Rio Tinto and for our community who have waited a long time for this moment. I look forward to next

showing this was a proud moment for us all. This effort lays the foundation for next year as we start our new underground mine. The process plant in particular has shown a steady improvement throughout the year, achieving more than 9 million tonnes per annum rates towards the end of the year, a real credit to the processing team.

2013 will be an exciting year as we take ownership of our new mine, complete some of the surface rejuvenation and continue to work through the separation process. Our underground operational readiness is well on track as we prepare to commence operations towards the end of quarter one next year. This commencement of operations underground has been many years in the making, and will be a proud and symbolic moment for all those who work at Argyle, for Rio Tinto and for our community who have waited a long time for this moment. I look forward to next

Merry Christmas and stay safe during the holiday season.

Argyle has been awarded a Certi� cate of Merit at the prestigious Golden Gecko Awards.

Argyle has been recognised for its ground breaking work on the Belmont Remediation Project with a Certifi cate of Merit at the Golden Gecko Awards in September this year.

The Golden Gecko Awards are run by the Western Australian Government Department of Mines and Petroleum and are an opportunity to be recognised for leading practice and innovation in environmental management.

In 2012, Pendoley Environmental Pty Ltd received a Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence, and Argyle Diamonds was awarded a Certifi cate of Merit.

Argyle has worked tirelessly on the Belmont site after was acquired through our joint venture partner, Ashton Mining, in 2001. After purchasing the site Argyle identifi ed a plume of Tetrabromoethane that had developed under the site which had the potential to threaten the Swan River ecosystem and public health.

Since then, Argyle has worked with project partners including various environmental consultants and universities to clean up the contaminated site and in doing so established a scientifi c case study that is being used internationally as leading research into rehabilitation of contaminated sites. Argyle’s commitment to working with the community was also recognised at the awards.

This award recognises Argyle for leadership in environmental excellence and is recognition of the dedication of our environment team and support of business leaders both past and present to fund the programme. It refl ects our values in protecting the environment along with the activities we conduct as part of our business.

Have you seen our lifesaving rules banners as you walk into the DA? These show us how the rules apply to us in our day to day work and are the winning entries from the HSE lifesaving rules photo competition. Congratulations to the winners, some of your entries are shown below.

Argyle scoops Golden Gecko Award

Lifesaving rules photo competition

Above: Representing Argyle at the Golden Gecko’s was Peter Firth, Rachel Kirchner, Rhys Jenkins, and Shane Johnson

Lifesaving Rule 4:I will not tamper with and/or make safety devices inoperable without being authorised to do soPhotographer:Ibrahim Qureshi

Lifesaving Rule 5: I will not operate mobile equipment without a valid authorisationPhotographer: Alison Heterbry

Lifesaving rule 7: I will not go or be under unsecured ground or a suspended load at anytimePhotographers: Bevan Frisby, Timothy Bedford, Ethen McGinty and Dean Morgan

ARGYLE’S

Lifesaving RulesI will not tamper with and/or make safety devices inoperable without being authorised to do so.

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ARGYLE’S

Lifesaving RulesI will not operate mobile equipment without a valid authorisation.

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ARGYLE’S

Lifesaving RulesI will not go or be under unsecured ground or a suspended load at anytime.

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Brilliance DECEMBER 20122 3

What is Parkes like?Gary: It is a lot bigger than I thoughtMel: Very clean and friendly, with really pretty trees lining the main street.Neville: Neat and tidy – we went looking for rubbish and could only fi nd two bits!

What is different about NorthParkes mine?Gary: There is no onsite accommodation. A lot of the workers are directly involved in the community as fi ries and ambos and the like. It is great to see that there is a lot of pride and respect for the local community. Mel: Many of the workers are also local farmers and they are supplementing their income by working at the mine.Neville: They are very strict on the road rules (for the road that runs between the township and the mine). They really want to make sure everyone gets home safely and driving on that road is a very big part of that.

What does your typical day look like?

Gary: We start with a pre-start meeting and then we buddy up with someone

in a similar role. I’ve been working my way around the variety of underground roles such as belt running and secondary breaking to understand what is involved in a Team Leader role. It is the fi rst time we’ve ever spent full 12 hour shifts underground.Mel: I’ve buddied up on the loaders and the Scada auto controllers. It was full on, but you get the hang of it after watching for a while. The buddies we’ve had at NorthParkes have been really friendly and helpful.Neville: I have focussed on belt running and basic service crew work such as delivering fuel and general maintenance. I’ve also spent a lot of time learning underground safety procedures. One of the biggest things is learning to drive underground – it’s really quite hard and takes a while to get used to.

What has been the best part about your training programme?

Gary: Getting exposure to the machinery and getting a feel for what we can expect at Argyle’s underground mine. We have had some good hands-on experience and it will

be good to start being really productive. We feel very privileged to be a part of this programme.

Neville: Getting amoungst the machinery and getting proper exposure to being underground. A lot of organisation went into this programme to get it together.

Mel: Overall it’s been a great experience. I really want to be there and a part of it and I can’t wait to get back and apply what I’ve learned at Argyle.

What are you most looking forward to about eventually working in Argyle’s underground mine?

Mel: I’m just really looking forward to being a loader operator!

Gary: I’m looking forward to doing everything that NorthParkes are doing; they have a successful block cave mine and we want to improve on that. We can also share knowledge, especially in regards to safety, which will help us in developing a strong safety culture.

Neville: Applying what we have learned successfully and safely.

The new racing themed tool cabinets that were recently unveiled at the Frontline Launch

The tool store is almost complete

The Pizza Hut’s new outdoor area

Mel is transitioning into a Bogger Operator role, Neville into a Service Crew Operator and Gary into a Team Leader role.

They are part of a crew of 16 secondees and 2 trainers who will spend three swings in NorthParkes to gain on the job training. On their return, they will join the underground mine as our fi rst production team.

We can also share knowledge, especially in regards to safety, which will help us in developing a strong safety culture.

Mel Norman, Garry Piggot and Neville Newton are part of our � rst underground operations team. Here they share with us their experience training at the NorthParkes block cave mine and their excitement at being a part of this milestone team.

Great progress has been made in the Pizza Hut, it is looking like a completely new space already!

Mel Norman, Garry Piggot and Neville

Our fi rst underground operators

This image: Bill Heneghan, Rod Leydon, Alex Cruise, Tanya Lacey and Gary Piggot in front of the surface tag board at NorthParkes

Below: Checking out the underground Crusher at NorthParkes

Progress on the Rapid Im

provement Projects

Brilliance DECEMBER 20124 5

You would have noticed some big changes happening around the Village’s central facilities over the past couple of months, with the car park turned into a temporary kitchen and a lot of activity happening.

The major refurbishment to the kitchen area is the key part of an upgrade project that will see new life breathed into the Village over the next few months.

Once completed, the kitchen will have a new servery, new ovens and other cooking equipment, a new ventilation system and fresh stainless steel and timber fi nishes, and will mean that it is a more modern and effective area to work in. The dining room will also be refreshed with new decor to match the modern kitchen.

To accommodate for feeding an entire mine site while this work has taken place, a temporary kitchen was installed in the car park.

Although the temporary kitchen isn’t as convenient as a full sized kitchen, it has meant that everyone has been fed enough and on time and the service has been relatively smooth. The Spotless kitchen staff in particular are thanked and recognised for working in changing conditions.

The current work that is taking place also focuses on the kitchen loading dock, the quiet bar and the games room.

The loading dock will be completely reshaped to provide extra storage capacity and cool room stores and a new waste management system.

The kitchen is on track to be fi nished by 14 December and the loading dock and other areas will be complete by 20 December. This project has run on time and to budget and it is important to recognise the tireless effort that has gone into managing such successful work.

The next stages will see the dining room, bar, gym and outdoor area receive a refresh, and work on these areas will begin immediately.

We would also like to thank Village residents for their patience as this work has been carried out and the ongoing support that has been provided by site personnel to make sure this project has rolled out smoothly.

What’s happening at the Village?

Knocking down the current loading dock outside of the kitchen block

Building the new loading dock, with the temporary kitchen in the background

The Argyle Empress is a celebration of two of the earth’s rarest treasures and is a perfect union between East and West

Argyle Pink Diamonds have been making headlines as demand for the precious gems continues to be strong. The annual Pink Tender recently closed and was one of a number of special diamond events this year.

Bids for this year’s Pink Tender collection of 56 single pink diamonds, two red diamonds and an additional 19 lots of blue diamonds closed on October 15th.

Successful bidders for the 2012 Tender collection were from both established and emerging markets. According to Josephine Johnson, Manager for Argyle Pink Diamonds,

“We were delighted to see such a strong appetite for this unique “rainbow collection”.

Several beautiful diamonds from the collection have a new home in India, an important emerging market for rare pink diamonds, and the “hero” blue diamond, Argyle Elektra™, is destined for Japan, the most established market for pink diamonds.”

John Glajz, Argyle Pink Diamonds’ largest Asia Pacifi c partner was the successful bidder of the most valuable diamond from the collection, Argyle Siren™, a 1.32 carat square radiant cut Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond. Commenting on his newest acquisition, John said,

“I was thrilled to receive the news. This is a rare diamond from a rare collection, incomparable from the perspective of a connoisseur and I look forward to designing an heirloom piece of jewellery to honour its heritage.”

Many of the successful bidders were part of the ‘Out of the Vault’ exhibition at Kensington Palace on October 9th, where more than US$65 million of one-of-a-kind pink diamond jewellery was showcased to celebrate royal connections in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.

A feature of the Kensington Palace exhibition was The Argyle Empress, a statement necklace designed by luxury jeweller and Argyle partner Chow Tai Fook. The necklace combines more than 43 carats of rare Argyle pink diamonds with 35 rare Imperial Jade beads and has been valued at US$5,500,000.

According to Josephine Johnson, Manager of Argyle Pink Diamonds,

“The Argyle Empress is a celebration of two of the earth’s rarest treasures and is a perfect union between East and West. This heirloom piece of jewellery is the fi rst of its kind for the growing Chinese market and will take its place in history as a coveted masterpiece.”

In addition to this year’s Pink Tender, an extraordinary sale known as “The Specials Tender” offering diamonds from across Rio Tinto’s mines was held. The invitation-only event featured diamonds 10.8 carats and larger.

According to Patrick Coppens, General Manager of Sales for Rio Tinto Diamonds,

“The 94 parcels of diamonds, which included 26 diamonds greater than 20 carats each, attracted very strong bidding and global participation, including Rio Tinto’s Select Diamantaires, who were among the 29 successful companies. The strong participation and results of this Specials Tender, as well as the recently concluded Argyle Pink Diamond Tender, demonstrates the consistent demand and competition for rare and valuable diamonds.”

Pink diamond’s global sparkle

The stunning Argyle Empress necklace was featured at the Kensington Palace ‘Out of The Vault’ exhibition in October

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Got a story to tell? Got an idea for Brilliance? We want to hear it! To submit your stories for Brilliance, email internal.communication@riotinto.com

2012 Editorial deadlines: March edition 15 March 2013

June edition 17 May 2013

September edition 16 August 2013

December edition 15 November 2013

Hello’s and goodbyes at ArgyleWelcome to our new startersAs featured in this edition of Brilliance, our first underground operations team has begun training and will soon start work in our underground mine. Much of this team is made up of existing Argyle employees who have transitioned from surface roles to be part of the underground team.

Please congratulate our transitioned employees and welcome our new starters in this team:

• Christopher Exten Electrical Trade

• Ian McVeigh Electrical Trade

• Bradley Tribbick Electrical Trade

• Wayne Lester Electrical Trade

• Raymond Wilson Electrical Trade

• Keaton Mahony Electrical Trade

• Jason Dingle Electrical Trade

• Ben Atwell Electrical Trade

• Dale Stakenburg Mechanical Trade

• Brad Beresford Mechanical Trade

• Bruce Chapman Mechanical Trade

• Gregory Wiesner Mechanical Trade

• Walter McCully Mechanical Trade

• Rahul Kanathala Graduate Electrical Trade

• Daniel Taylor Control Room Operator

• Sarah Martin Belt Runner

• Hughie Ahwon Belt Runner

• Samar Patel Graduate Mechanical Engineer

• Douglas Gerrard Service Crew Operator

• Juan San Martin Superintendent Technical Services

• Martin Curry Shift Supervisor

• Shawn Loffler Auto Electrician

• Michael Camping Auto Electrician

• Martin Ario Mechanical Engineer

• Craig Baker Boiler Maker

• Shannon Luttrel Senior Mining Engineer

Also welcome to our other new starters at ArgyleHoward Rae has joined the Executive Team as General Manager Finance. Jai Sherwell has started as Superintendent Infrastructure Services.

The Process Plant has welcomed William Johnson, Jesse Kratzman, David Burns, David Harmon and Mick Terry as Operators. Karl Melvin, Aaron Tidd, Daniel Hawkins and Daniel Horne have also joined the Process Plant in Mechanical Trade roles and Alison Petersen was welcomed as a Laboratory Operator. Farai Ikeleng also started in the plant as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer.

Leslie Moore and Kerwin Williams have started as Fitters in Mobile Maintenance. Grant Devitt joined the Engineering team in an Electrical Trade role.

The HSE team has welcomed Graduate Health and Safety Advisor Deepika Sharma and Muththamizh Vizhi has joined the Regional Participation Team as Graduate Community Relations Advisor.

CongratulationsCongratulations go to Naomi Hansen who has finished her traineeship and started in a Human Resources Officer role.

Add other trainee and apprentices TBA.

FarewellThis quarter also saw a reduction in employee numbers across Argyle as a result of business changes. Thank you to all the people who left Argyle in the last few months due to this change for your hard work during your time here. We wish to farewell the following people:

• Kuldeep Bhardwaj• John Harvey• Glenn Thomas• Estrelia Diaz• Larry Knowles• Dave Drummond• Bul Bulkoch• Ross Rutherford• Shannah Smith• Tim Grime• Tiarne Pearce• Sharon Dyson• Cara Peek• Les Solien• Christine Forrest

• Craig Walton• Bianca Fitzsimmons• Ethel Cowcher• Justin Goodwin• Sandra Read• Katie Leiw• Martin Wood• Heath Abel• Caroline Banton• Charlotte Balyejjusa• Joseph Wambua• Kathryn Simms• Gary Bacon• Mel Ochotsky• Nadine Baldwin

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