By Nathan Richardson and Wendy Wells

April 18, 2018 - Mining giant Rio Tinto said Wednesday its hard coking coal production fell 30% year on year to 1.1 million mt over January-March, and was down 53% quarter on quarter, ahead of its exit from the sector.

The fall in production was due to a longwall changeover and maintenance works at its Kestrel mine in the Australian state of Queensland, as well as a lower yield at its Hail Creek mine in Queensland impacted by coal scheduling, the company said in its Q1 operations report.

Rio Tinto maintained its full year 2018 hard coking coal guidance at 7.5 million-8.5 million mt, which assumes ownership of its assets until the end of the year and will be adjusted subject to the timing of their disposal.

Hail Creek and Kestrel are the company's only remaining producing coal mines and are subject to sale agreements that are expected to be completed in the second half of 2018.

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