An official with the state-owned mining company Erdenes MGL says all 15 of the companies bidding for mining rights at the Tavantolgoi site are still in the running.

Erdenes Executive Director B.Enebish made that announcement at a press conference in Ulaanbaatar on Thursday. Enebish said negotiations over mining rights at the western Tsankhi block at Tavantolgoi are still ongoing. He did not name the 15 companies that are bidding for the rights.

Enebish said, “There has been a lot of reporting of rumors about Tavantolgoi but as far as we are concerned it is not finalized yet.”

The news agency Reuters is citing sources who say the Mongolian Security Council will convene an emergency session, possibly as early as Friday, to deliberate on the coal project. The council’s approval is required before the agreement is finally submitted to parliament, which reconvenes in October.