Rio Tinto  would acquire another 5.3 percent of Ivanhoe
Mines as part of its investment in Oyu Tolgoi. The deal, worth some USD400
million takes Rio Tinto”s stake in Ivanhoe Mines to 34.9 percent and was based
on the conversion of a loan extended to the Canadian company in 2007, Rio said
in a statement.

Rio Tinto took a 9.9 percent
stake in Ivanhoe in 2006 under an accord to develop the Oyu Tolgoi project,
which allows the Australian company to eventually own up to 46.65 percent of
its Canadian partner.