CORRECTED-Mongolia lists 8 potential bidders for coal project

Published: 23 Oct 2009 01:56:53 PST

(Corrects headline and first line to say eight bidders, not seven)

BEIJING, Oct 23 - Mongolia has shortlisted eight potential partners for its huge Tavan Tolgoi coking coal project, according to Temuulen Ganzorig, deputy director of Erdenes MGL, the Mongolian government company that will hold at least 51 percent of the equity.

Ganzorig said on Friday that the shortlisted bidders included BHP BILLITON, India's Jindal, Brazil's Vale, U.S. coal miner Peabody, and China's Shenhua, as well as South Korea's COPEC consortium, a group of Japanese companies, and a Russian consortium including Gazprom and Renova.