Key words: Rio, Tinto, Kalahari, CGNPC

* Rio Tinto Rossing accepts CGNPC offer for Kalahari shares
* Rio says decision on Extract will be made "in due course"

LONDON/SYDNEY, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Miner Rio Tinto has accepted China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp's (CGNPC) bid for its shares in Kalahari Minerals, a top shareholder in one of the world's largest uranium projects, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

CGNPC, which has been seeking new sources of uranium supply, wants to buy Kalahari for its 42.7 percent interest in Extract, which owns the Husab uranium project in Namibia.

CGNPC, whose $990 million bid for Kalahari closes on Feb 2, has said it would make a subsequent offer for Extract if it won acceptances for at least 50 percent of Kalahari's shares -- a likely prospect after Rio's decision to sell.

Rio, which also holds 14.2 percent of shares in Extract Resources, said it would make a decision on whether to accept any offer for its shares in Extract in due course. Three sources familiar with the matter said earlier that Rio was unlikely to mount a counterbid and was instead expected to agree to the Extract offer. It is in talks to fold some of its own uranium assets into a joint venture with the Chinese company, the sources said.

Husab is potentially the second-largest uranium mine in the world and Rio Tinto has been in talks with Extract to combine its neighbouring Rossing mine with Husab.

The deal comes as potential new sources of uranium supply are attracting interest, with the price of uranium miners battered last year after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Rio late last year succeeded in a C$654 million takeover of Canadian uranium prospector Hathor after suitor Cameco Corp withdrew a rival offer.

Source: www.reutersreprints.com