Resourcehouse said it had struck the deal, touted as an Australian record, with China Power International Holding Limited, not China Power International Development Limited as announced on Saturday.

"I can 100 percent confirm there's a binding contract in place. We've mentioned the wrong name, that's why we've had the comments you've seen," a spokesperson told AFP.

He was speaking after the wrongly named company issued a statement denying the deal to the Hong Kong stock market, casting doubt over the agreement to sell 30 million tonnes of coal a year over 20 years.

But the Resourcehouse spokesman said company chairman Clive Palmer confirmed the deal with China Power International Holding Limited, the parent company of the other firm.

"That's the confusion -- we have said the wrong name," he said. "It's a binding contract and Clive Palmer said that he met with them and there's no issue."

Resourcehouse on Saturday said it would supply the coal from a proposed mine in central Queensland, describing it as Australia's biggest ever export contract.