The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that veteran mining promoter Pierre Lassonde said on Wednesday that he is "mystified" by Teck Resources's decision to sell its coal unit to a Glencore-led consortium for $9-billion because his group bid the same price. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe quotes Mr. Lassonde saying: "We put together an offer that was very, very competitive, it was in the best interest of Teck shareholders, Canada, the employees. And it was a holistic solution with the same price tag." On Tuesday, Teck agreed to sell its steelmaking coal unit to the group led by Swiss-based Glencore PLC. Mr. Lassonde said his consortium included Fairfax Financial Holdings founder Prem Watsa and Stelco Holding chief executive officer Alan Kestenbaum, both in their individual capacities. Their offer was credible and comparable with what Teck's board accepted from Glencore, he said. Teck, in a statement, said the company had undertaken an extremely thorough and competitive process that clearly identified Glencore's transaction as the "best option" for its shareholders and all interested parties. "Due to confidentiality agreements, we cannot discuss the specifics of other discussions," the company said.