Dow Jones quoted Mr Wahidullah Shahrani Afghanistan's mining minister as saying that 23 companies had formally expressed interest in participating in the country's Hajigak iron ore tender.

Mr Shahrani said that the companies included TATA Steel Limited, Jindal Steel & Power Limited and JSW Steel Limited.

The Hajigak iron ore resource, 130 kilometers west of Kabul, has an estimated 1.8 billion to 2 billion tonnes of the mineral used to make steel. The ore has a ferrous content of about 62%.

Mr Shahrani said that the project has also received interest from Turkish, one Chinese, and two to three Iranian companies. The department has requested that formal proposals be submitted in late February 2011 and then come to visit the project in May 2011. He added that "Final bids are due in early August 2011."

He noted that Brazil's Vale also expressed interest in participating in the tender but failed to submit a formal expression of interest on time. BHP Billiton Limited and Rio Tinto PLC have chosen not to participate in the tender.

(Sourced from www.dowjones.com)