Bloomberg:

Rio Tinto Considers Bid for Xemplar Energy, Sunday Express Says
By Ben Farey

Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) — Rio Tinto Plc may make a bid for Xemplar Energy Corp., a Canadian uranium explorer, the U.K.’s Sunday Express reported, without citing anyone.

Rio is watching Xemplar “carefully,” the London-based newspaper said.

Xemplar has found a site in Namibia that may contain more uranium that Rio’s existing Namibian mine, the newspaper said.

Rio is waiting for independent verification of the find before deciding on a bid, the Express said.

Nick Cobban, a spokesman for Rio Tinto, said “we never comment on this sort of speculative story.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Farey in London bfarey@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 6, 2008 11:27 EST

long XE