Two bidders - a trade buyer and a financial buyer - remain in the running, Scott Kershaw, a partner of administrator McGrath Nicol & Partners, told MiningNews.net.
Kershaw declined to comment further on the identities of the bidders.
"We're happy with the way it's progressing and are hopeful that a public announcement of the winner will be made in two to three weeks," Kershaw said.
The mining arm is HWE's largest business, contributing $A695.7 million, or about 62% of the group's total revenue, in the year to the end of June 2004.
Creditors of the 26 HWE companies that went into administration in January are due to meet next Thursday in Sydney, Darwin and Perth.
Kershaw said creditors of the non-core entities, which hold a number of minor assets such as waste water treatment and debt recovery, would be asked to vote on a deed of company arrangement to determine the future of these companies.
Creditors of the mining pool entities would be asked to adjourn for one further round to allow the sale to be finalised.
