XML 425 R222.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.10.0.1

Principal joint operations - Summary of principle joint operations (Parenthetical) (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 Subsidiary
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited [member]
Disclosure Of Joint Operations [Line Items]
Group interest (%), Joint Operation	79.36%
Principal activities, Joint Operation	Aluminium smelting
Queensland Alumina Limited [member]
Disclosure Of Joint Operations [Line Items]
Group interest (%), Joint Operation	80.00%
Principal activities, Joint Operation	Alumina production
Pilbara Iron arrangement [Member]
Disclosure Of Joint Operations [Line Items]
Number of subsidiary	2
Company of operation, Subsidiary	Pilbara Iron (Company) Services Pty Ltd and Pilbara Iron Pty Ltd.
Principal activities, Joint Operation	Infrastructure, corporate and mining services
Pechiney Reynolds Quebec Inc [member]
Disclosure Of Joint Operations [Line Items]
Group interest (%), Joint Operation	50.20%
Principal activities, Joint Operation	Aluminium smelting
Pechiney Reynolds Quebec Inc [member] | Aluminerie De Becancour Inc [member]
Disclosure Of Joint Operations [Line Items]
Group interest (%), Joint Venture	50.10%
Company of operation	Aluminerie de Bécancour, Inc.
Principal activities, Joint Operation	Aluminium smelter
Country of incorporation, Joint Venture	Canada

X

- Definition

The country in which a joint venture of the entity is incorporated. [Refer: Joint ventures [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b
-Clause ii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_16_b_ii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph b
-Clause ii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_17_b_ii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph a
-Clause iii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_21_a_iii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_CountryOfIncorporationOfJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The description of the nature of the entity's relationship with a joint operation (for example, describing the nature of the activities of the joint operation and whether they are strategic to the entity's activities). [Refer: Joint operations [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph a
-Clause ii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_21_a_ii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DescriptionOfNatureOfEntitysRelationshipWithJointOperation
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfJointOperationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The name of a joint venture. [Refer: Joint ventures [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph b
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_17_b_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_16_b_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph a
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_21_a_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NameOfJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The name of a subsidiary. [Refer: Subsidiaries [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph b
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_17_b_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b
-Clause i
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_16_b_i&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_12_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 19B
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_19B_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NameOfSubsidiary
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The proportion of ownership interest in a joint operation attributable to the entity. [Refer: Joint operations [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph a
-Clause iv
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_21_a_iv&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProportionOfOwnershipInterestInJointOperation
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The proportion of ownership interest in a joint venture attributable to the entity. [Refer: Joint ventures [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 17
-Subparagraph b
-Clause iii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_17_b_iii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 27
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph b
-Clause iii
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=27&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_16_b_iii&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 12
-IssueDate 2017-01-01
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph a
-Clause iv
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=12&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_21_a_iv&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2017-03-09

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ProportionOfOwnershipInterestInJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Number of subsidiary.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rio_NumberOfSubsidiary
Namespace Prefix:	rio_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_JointOperationsAxis=rio_NewZealandAluminiumSmeltersLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_JointOperationsAxis=rio_QueenslandAluminaLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_JointOperationsAxis=rio_PilbaraIronArrangementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_JointOperationsAxis=rio_PechineyReynoldsQuebecIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_JointVenturesAxis=rio_AluminerieDeBcancourIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: