VANCOUVER, July 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Energy, and Co-Chairman of its China-focused subsidiary, Sunwing Energy, today announced the appointment of the Right Honourable Jean Chretien, the 20th Prime Minister of Canada, as senior international adviser to the company.

Mr. Chretien has been active in Canadian and global development circles as a lawyer with the Canada-based international law firm, Heenan Blaikie, since retiring as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in 2003. He entered national politics in 1963 and served three terms as Prime Minister of Canada between 1993 and 2003.

During his long parliamentary career, Mr. Chretien held a succession of senior cabinet posts in the Canadian Government, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources and Minister of Industry, Trade and Commerce.

"Jean Chretien was instrumental in advancing relationships between many Canadian businesses and rapidly industrializing China and its neighbour nations through his hands-on, prime ministerial leadership of a series of successful Team Canada trade development missions," said Mr. Friedland.

"He helped Canadians realize the promise of their destiny as a Pacific Rim nation founded in part on Canada's history as a central link in the maritime Silk Road that connected Asia with the Americas and Europe. Ivanhoe Energy already has established partnerships on oil and gas projects in China. We believe that Mr. Chretien's experience and knowledge will be a prime asset in assisting the Ivanhoe companies to continue to build their businesses through opportunities that will be encountered in the energy and mineral resource sectors around the world during what is becoming the Asian Century."

Ivanhoe Energy is an international oil and gas company with a focus on heavy-oil development and production. Ivanhoe Energy uses technologically innovative methods to significantly improve the development of heavy oil and other oil and gas assets, includes the application of its patented HTL (heavy-to-light) heavy-oil upgrading process. Core operations are in Canada, Ecuador, and China, with business development opportunities worldwide. Ivanhoe Energy trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market, with the ticker symbol IVAN, and on the Toronto Stock Exchange with the symbol IE.

Mr. Chretien will provide advisory services to Ivanhoe Capital Corporation's affiliates through a contract with Global Mining Management, a private service company based in Vancouver, Canada. Global Mining is jointly owned by several companies, including: Ivanhoe Energy Inc.; Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. and its subsidiaries, SouthGobi Energy Resources Ltd. and Ivanhoe Australia Ltd; as well as the privately-held Ivanhoe Nickel & Platinum Ltd.

SOURCE Ivanhoe Energy Inc.