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               UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT
    PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

         DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED) MAY 12, 2006

                              IVANHOE ENERGY INC.
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            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                 YUKON, CANADA
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                (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)


                000-30586                            98-0372413
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         (Commission File Number)                 (I.R.S. Employer
                                               Identification Number)


       SUITE 654 - 999 CANADA PLACE
           VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA                       V6C 3E1
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   (Address of Principal Executive Office)           (Zip Code)

                                (604) 688-8323
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              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                NOT APPLICABLE
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         (Former Name or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below if the  Form 8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing  obligation of the registrant  under any of
the following provisions:

[_]   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17
      CFR 230.425)

[_]   Soliciting  material  pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
      CFR 240.14a-12)

[_]   Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  14d-2(b)  under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[_]   Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to Rule  13e-4(c)  under the
      Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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                SECTION 1 - REGISTRANT'S BUSINESS AND OPERATIONS

ITEM 1.01. ENTRY INTO A MATERIAL DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT.

STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT:

On May 12,  2006,  Ivanhoe  Energy  Inc.  (the  "Registrant"),  a  corporation
incorporated  under  the laws of the  Yukon  Territory,  entered  into a Stock
Purchase  Agreement (the  "Agreement")  by and among the  Registrant,  Sunwing
Holding Corporation,  a Barbados corporation and a wholly-owned  subsidiary of
the Registrant, Sunwing Energy Ltd. ("Sunwing"), a corporation organized under
the laws of Bermuda and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant,
and China Mineral Acquisition  Corporation ("China Mineral"),  a "blank check"
public corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware.

If the transaction is completed, the new public company would be approximately
80% owned by the  Registrant  on a primary share basis before giving effect to
the exercise of outstanding  warrants,  options and  contingent  consideration
granted to the Registrant and assuming no China Mineral stockholders  exercise
conversion  rights under its charter.  Immediately  prior to the  combination,
China  Mineral  will  redomesticate  to the  British  Virgin  Islands as China
Ivanhoe  Energy Ltd.  ("China  Ivanhoe  Energy")  and will acquire 100% of the
issued and  outstanding  stock of Sunwing for shares of China  Ivanhoe  Energy
ordinary equity with a value of US$100 million, subject to working capital and
long-term  debt  adjustments.  In  addition,  China  Mineral will grant to the
Registrant  performance  warrants and a contingent right to receive additional
shares,  which  together may provide the  Registrant  with an  additional  14%
ownership  interest in China  Ivanhoe  Energy (not  including  the exercise of
outstanding warrants and options for China Mineral stock).

The  proposed  business  combination  of  Sunwing  and China  Mineral  and the
redomestication  of China Mineral into the British Virgin Islands  require the
approval  of  China  Mineral  stockholders.   If  approved  by  China  Mineral
stockholders,  the proposed business  combination will be completed as soon as
possible after the special meeting but in any event on or prior to its charter
requirement of August 30, 2006.

The foregoing description of the Agreement does not purport to be complete and
is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement,  which is filed as
Exhibit 10.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

On May 12, 2006,  China  Mineral  filed with the SEC a joint  prospectus/proxy
statement on Form S-4 relating to the proposed business combination.

The Registrant  issued a press release  announcing the  transaction on May 15,
2006.  A copy of that press  release is  attached  hereto as Exhibit  99.1 and
incorporated by reference herein.

                  SECTION 9 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

ITEM 9.01. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

Exhibits:

10.1     Stock  Purchase  Agreement  dated  May 12,  2006,  by and  among  the
         Registrant,  Sunwing  Holding  Corporation,  Sunwing  Energy Ltd. and
         China Mineral Acquisition Corporation

99.1     Press  Release  dated  May 15,  2006  announcing  the  signing  of an
         agreement for a business  combination  between  Ivanhoe Energy Inc.'s
         China operations and China Mineral  Acquisition  Corporation,  a U.S.
         public company




                                  SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report to be  signed on its  behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.


                                           IVANHOE ENERGY INC.

Date: May 17, 2006                         By: /s/ W. Gordon Lancaster
                                               ------------------------------
                                               Chief Financial Officer









                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


EXHIBIT
NUMBER                      EXHIBIT TITLE OR DESCRIPTION
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10.1     Stock  Purchase  Agreement  dated  May 12,  2006,  by and  among  the
         Registrant,  Sunwing  Holding  Corporation,  Sunwing  Energy Ltd. and
         China Mineral Acquisition Corporation

99.1     Press  Release  dated  May 15,  2006  announcing  the  signing  of an
         agreement for a business  combination  between  Ivanhoe Energy Inc.'s
         China operations and China Mineral  Acquisition  Corporation,  a U.S.
         public company