LONDON (Reuters) - ENRC's (>> Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation) independent directors said on Thursday that a lack of alternatives and an imminent delisting meant shareholders should "seriously consider" an offer from its founders, despite a price they said undervalued the Kazakh mining company.

A group including ENRC's three founders and the Kazakh government has made a bid for the 46 percent of ENRC it does not already control, hoping to take it private and focus on its Kazakh core, ending six turbulent years as a listed company.

ENRC's minority shareholders have until August 28 to accept the offer, and the $4.6 billion bid is widely expected to succeed after shareholders at rival Kazakhmys (>> Kazakhmys plc), ENRC's top shareholder, backed the offer last week, taking support for the buyout to more than 75 percent.

The offer, $2.65 in cash plus 0.23 of a Kazakhmys share for every ENRC share, is worth about 231 pence per share at current prices, marginally above ENRC's current value of 223 pence.

The independent directors have long argued the offer undervalues ENRC, and said on Thursday that the bidders' intention to review the company's international portfolio could mean sales that generate income were not reflected in the offer.

But they also recognised that, given the bidders' more than 50 percent holding, they had found no viable alternatives.

"Given the risks and uncertainties ... the independent committee has concluded that relevant ENRC shareholders should seriously consider the offer, despite the independent Committee's firm view that it materially undervalues ENRC," the directors said.

The independent directors - who mainly represent the interests of minority shareholders, or ENRC's freefloat of under 20 percent - also said they would resign from ENRC once the offer becomes unconditional.

(Reporting by Clara Ferreira-Marques; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Stocks treated in this article : Kazakhmys plc, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation