China sells thermal coal cargo into S.Korea at $142/T FOB

SHANGHAI Jan 10 (Reuters) - China's top coal producer China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd (1088.HK) has sold a February-loading thermal coal shipment to a South Korean buyer at $142 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, two sources with knowledge of the deal said on Monday.

The deal, sealed mid-last week, was for coal with a heating value of 5,800 kcal/kg, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because it was a commercially sensitive issue.

The sale comes as a devastating flood hit Australia's eastern Queensland state, knocking out an estimated 3-4.5 million tonnes of global thermal coal exports and prompting many South Korean and Japanese utilities to scour the market for alternative supplies. [ID:nLDE7050Z1] (Reporting by Fayen Wong; Editing by Chris Lewis)