Oct 14 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto reported a

6% sequential rise in third-quarter iron ore shipments on

Tuesday, despite planned major maintenance activities and

infrastructure works which will continue in the fourth quarter.

The world's biggest iron ore producer shipped 84.3 million

tonnes (Mt) of the steel-making commodity from its Pilbara

operations in the three months ended September 30, compared with

79.9 Mt shipped in the previous quarter.

That marginally missed the Visible Alpha consensus estimate

of 85.5 Mt.