Mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) has reported a slight drop in Pilbara iron ore production in the second quarter of 2024, with this number coming in 2% lower than the same period last year – at 79.5 million tonnes – although shipments of the metal for the second quarter rose by the same percentage, sitting at 80.3 million tonnes. However, shipment volumes were down overall for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, registering as a drop of 2%, to 157.4 million tonnes. The company stated that a train collision in mid-May had affected production and shipping, resulting in …