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Acquisitions and disposals - Additional information (Detail) - USD ($) |  |  |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended |  |  |
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May 10, 2018 | Mar. 27, 2018 | Mar. 22, 2018 | Mar. 20, 2018 | Jan. 24, 2017 | May 31, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2018 | Jun. 30, 2017 | Jun. 30, 2019 | Feb. 26, 2018 | Jan. 10, 2018
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates | [1] |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 402,000,000 | 135,000,000 |  |  |
Purchase of non-controlling interests | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 194,000,000 |  |  |
Simfer Jersey Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage in subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  | 53.00% | 53.00% |  |  |  |
Simfer S.A. [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage in subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 85.00% |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest in subsidiary purchased |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4.25% |  |  |  |  |
Purchase of non-controlling interests |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 194,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 45.05% |  |  |  |
Simfer S.A. [member] | Bottom of range [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  | 42.80% |  |  |  |  |
Simfer S.A. [member] | Top Of Range [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary |  |  |  |  |  |  | 45.05% |  |  |  |  |
Group's Aluminium Assets Held for Sale [Member] | Dunkerque Aluminium Smelter [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition binding offer amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 500,000,000
Group's Aluminium Assets Held for Sale [Member] | ISAL Smelter, Aluchemie Anode Plant and Aluminium Fluoride Plant [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition binding offer amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 345,000,000 |
Group's Aluminium Assets Held for Sale [Member] | Aluchemie Anode Plant [Member] | NETHERLANDS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest sold |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 53.30% |
Group's Aluminium Assets Held for Sale [Member] | Aluminium Fluoride Plant [Member] | SWEDEN |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest sold |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |
2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  |  | $ 1,700,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Elysis [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash investment in joint venture |  | $ 5,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  | $ 200,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  | 75.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates |  |  |  | $ 150,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] | Due in June 2019 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unconditional cash payment receivable from disposals |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 50,000,000 |  |
Hail Creek Coal Mine [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 82.00% |  |  |  |
Hail Creek Coal Mine [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  |  | 82.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  |  | 71.20% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 80.00% |  |  |  |
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  | $ 2,250,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture |  |  | 80.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Receipts from non-refundable deposits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 338,000,000 |  |  |  |
Coal & Allied Industries Limited [member] | 2017 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,690,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest in subsidiaries disposed |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
[1] | Disposal proceeds in the six months to 30 June 2018 include cash proceeds of US$60 million received in respect of the non-contingent royalty receivable from Yancoal Australia Limited on the sale of Coal & Allied Industries Limited, which completed in the second half of 2017. In addition, non-refundable deposits of US$338 million have been received during the period relating to the agreed sale of the Kestrel underground coal mine. The sale completed on 1 August 2018.
[2] | In May 2017, the Group’s subsidiary Simfer Jersey Limited (Rio Tinto 53%) purchased a 4.25% interest in Simfer SA from International Finance Corporation for US$194 million.

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