Congo panel says 61 mining contracts not viable

KINSHASA Nov 3 (Reuters) - Sixty-one mining contracts under review by a mining commission in Democratic Republic of Congo should be cancelled or renegotiated, according to a preliminary report from the panel seen by Reuters on Saturday.

The document, which a commission member said had not yet been finalised, showed no contract reviewed by the panel was considered "viable" in its current form.

Thirty-seven contracts, including those with international firms Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc (FCX.N), BHP Billiton (BHP.AX) and Nikanor NKR.L, needed renegotiating while the remaining 24 should be terminated, the document recommended.