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India's JSW Steel in talks with Australia's Whitehaven for coal mine stake

India's JSW Steel Ltd. remains in talks with Australian miner Whitehaven Coal. for a stake in its Blackwater metallurgical coal mine,. a source aware of the conversations stated on Tuesday.

JSW Steel, India's biggest steel producer by capacity, is. conducting due diligence and expects to get a coking coal sample. from the mine this month to inspect requirements, the source. stated.

Whitehaven in January stated it was exploring a potential. sell-down of about 20% of Blackwater to international steel manufacturers. as strategic joint venture partners.

The miner got the Blackwater and Daunia mines from BHP. Group in a $4.1 billion deal last October, and anticipates. the acquisition to complete in early April.

JSW Steel might consider acquiring more than a 20% stake in. Blackwater, the source stated.

JSW has held preliminary talks with Blackwater but has yet to. see the specifications of the coking coal from the metallurgical. coal mine in Australia, the source said.

A spokeperson for Whitehaven declined to discuss any. talks with JSW Steel however referenced reference of the joint endeavor. sell-down in the company's earlier statements.

A JSW Steel representative decreased comment.

JSW Steel has actually been hunting for coking coal properties overseas.

The company presently imports coking coal from Canada,. Australia, the United States, and some grades from Russia.

Last year, JSW Steel remained in talks with Canada's Teck. Resources for a stake in its coking coal unit but. ultimately a Glencore-led consortium agreed to buy it. for $9 billion.

Coking coal is becoming a top option for business to. make a venture into, as it is utilized to make steel, an essential. part in large infrastructure and sustainable projects.

India was preparing to form a consortium of state-owned. business to facilitate coking coal imports to help domestic. steel business tide over shortages, reported last. month.

Indian steel companies take in around 70 million metric lots. of coking coal each year, and imports make up around 85% of. the nation's overall requirement.

(source: Reuters)