UPDATE 1-Kazakh miner ENRC mulls African Minerals bid

* AMI has world's third-largest magnetite ore deposit

* Tonkolili project needs $2.6 billion investment

* Evraz placing raises hopes for more convertibles

(Adds further details, background)

By Olga Popova and Melissa Akin

MOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - London-listed Kazakh miner ENRC (ENRC.L) is considering a bid for Sierra Leone-focused African Minerals (AMIq.L) and has been discussing the issue of a convertible bond, banking sources said on Friday.

"They are interested in AMI (African Minerals), which recently discovered the world's third-largest (magnetite) ore deposit," one of the sources said.

London based spokesmen for both African Minerals and ENRC declined to comment on the possibility of a bid.

African Minerals "is focused on accelerating the development of its Tonkolili iron ore project in Sierra Leone," the African Minerals spokesman said.