Ivanhoe Mines hires banks to explore options around DRC assets

TORONTO, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ivanhoe Mines has retained BMO Capital Markets Ltd and Morgan Stanley & Co as financial advisers to conduct a strategic review of its Kamoa and Kipushi copper projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Ivanhoe, headed by well known mining financier Robert Friedland, said on Monday that the strategic review would initially focus on the potential introduction of third-party strategic investors or joint-venture parties for the Kamoa and Kipushi projects.

Ivanhoe said it would continue to examine other options like a corporate reorganization and a project spin-off.

(Reporting by Euan Rocha; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)