Rio Tinto, BHP to collaborate to boost Pilbara iron ore output

Rio Tinto and BHP, two of the world's biggest miners, announced on Thursday that they will work together to mine up to 200 million tonnes of iron ore at their neighboring Yandicoogina and Yandi iron ore operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Specifically, under two non-binding Memoranda of Understanding, the two companies will explore collaboration on mining Rio Tinto's Wunbye deposit at the Yandicoogina project and the potential for processing BHP's ore from Yandi Lower Channel Deposit at Rio's existing wet plants, according to their separate statements. Rio Tinto and BHP previously