The mining rights to southern area of Zhengningnan coal reserve, the biggest coal base in northwest China's Gansu Province, are to go under the hammer on June 18, sources with the provincial land transaction center said on Friday.

The sale of the mining license is expected to set a new record in the province with a reserve price of 750 million yuan (US$97.4 million).

The license being auctioned by the provincial land resources department will remain valid for 30 years and is renewable following required government procedures.

Bidders must be domestic companies with a registered capital of more than 1.7 billion yuan (US$221 million) and be capable of handling a yearly coal output of 10 million tons.

Located in Qingyang city and covering 159 square kilometers, the mine has a verified reserve of 1.85 billion tons and the average coal seam thickness is 13.94 meters.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2007)