International mining giant Rio Tinto has posted record first quarter iron ore production, with Pilbara iron ore operations operating at full capacity of 237 tonnes per year.

Rio Tinto’s chief, Sam Walsh, commended the operations, saying that the company rebounded from seasonal weather disruptions.

“Our two major growth projects in the Pilbara and in Mongolia achieved significant milestones in the first quarter.  Both of these industry leading projects remain on track for first production this year and are poised to deliver attractive returns for our shareholders in the years ahead,” Mr Walsh said.

Mr Walsh said that the company’s expansion of its Pilbara operations to 290 million tonnes remains on budget and on time, following the installation of the new shiploader at Cape Lambert.