Yancoal Australia Ltd. (ASX:YAL) is said to be the group gunning the hardest for BHP Group Limited (ASX:BHP)'s coalmining operations that are up for sale through investment bank Macquarie Capital. Sources say Yancoal is the most keen out of all the suitors to buy the BHP assets. As earlier reported by DataRoom, BHP is understood to have attracted 15-25 parties interested in its two Queensland coalmines, Daunia and Blackwater, believed to be worth a combined $2 billion.

Expressions of interest for the sale process were received last month. It is understood that suitors have been offered an extensive amount of information on the offering early on to assess the assets. Other contenders lining up include Stanmore Resources Limited (ASX:SMR), which is majority-owned by Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group, the controlling company of Golden Energy in Singapore.

Indian conglomerate JSW Steel Limited (BSE:500228) is believed to have been taking a look, while BUMA Australia Pty Ltd, part of the Delta Dunia Group, is thought to have shown interest. Peabody Energy Corporation (NYSE:BTU), Coronado Global Resources Inc. (ASX:CRN), Whitehaven Coal Limited (ASX:WHC) and New Hope Coal are all taking a look at the mines expected to sell for top dollar.