Century Aluminum Co. is beginning the orderly curtailment of the remaining plant operations at its Ravenswood, W.Va., aluminum smelter.

Rio Tinto Limited (RIO) has completed the sale of its undeveloped potash assets to Vale, the Brazilian mining company, for a cash consideration of US$850 million. The proceeds from this divestment will be used for the repayment of debt. Rio said the transaction was comprised of the Potasio Rio Colorado potash project in Argentina and the Regina exploration assets in Canada. Rio noted that the potash divestment, first announced on 30 January, was part of a larger transaction that included the Corumba iron ore mine in Brazil and the associated river logistics operations in Paraguay. "The Corumba transaction will complete when appropriate consents are received, and completion is expected in the second half of 2009," Rio said. "The total consideration for the Corumbá assets is US$750 million." Rio explained that in December 2008, it announced a detailed package of measures in response to the rapidity and severity of the global economic downturn. "One aspect of those measures included expanding the scope of the group's existing asset divestment programme," the miner said. During 2008, Rio said it realised almost US$3 billion from asset sales, comprising the Greens Creek mine in Alaska for US$750 million, its interest in the Cortez operation in Nevada for US$1.695 billion and the Kintyre uranium project in Western Australia for US$495 million. In January 2009, the group announced the divestment of its interest in the Ningxia aluminum smelter in China for US$125 million. At 1055 AEDT, Rio Tinto shares were up $4.10, or 9.3% to $48.35. source：money.ninemsn.com.au