MASTER COAL PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT

Article 1.

General Terms and Definitions

Article 2.

Term

Article 3.

Quantity

Article 4.

Delivery and Transportation

Article 5.

Title and Risk of Loss; Equipment Damage

Article 6.

Coal Quality Specifications

Article 7.

Sampling and Analysis

Article 8.

Weighing

Article 9.

Price and Price Adjustments

Article 10.

Invoices, Payments, Netting, Set off, and Credit Ratings

Article 11.

Force Majeure

Article 12.

Records, Audits, Access

Article 13.

Default, Remedies, and Termination

Article 14.

Notices

Article 15.

Cooperation

Article 16.

Warranty, Limitation on Liability, Duty to Mitigate & Indemnification

Article 17.

Limitation on Waiver

Article 18.

Confidentiality

Article 19.

Entirety, Amendments

Article 20.

Successors and Assigns

Article 21.

Governing Laws

Article 22.

Interpretation

Article 23.

Resale to Local College

Article 24.

Survival

1.01

The terms of this Agreement shall govern all purchases and sales of Coal between the Parties (hereinafter “Transactions”) or options thereon during the term of this Agreement unless the Parties expressly indicate otherwise. All amendments, modifications, revisions and changes to this Agreement or any related Transaction or option must be in writing and signed by both Parties. If the Parties enter into an option concerning the purchase and/or sale of Coal, the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Confirmation Letter shall govern the Transaction once the option has been exercised.

1.02

For individual Transactions, the Parties shall enter into a written Confirmation Letter (hereinafter “Confirmation”) that sets forth and defines the following: the Buyer, the Seller, the price, price adjustments, quantity, term, quality specifications, mine(s), and any other Transaction-specific provisions mutually agreed upon by the Parties. All Confirmations shall be in writing, signed by both Parties. The Parties intend the provisions of each individual Confirmation and the provisions of this Agreement be construed as one single integrated agreement and that without a written Confirmation the Parties would not otherwise enter into a Transaction. Any inconsistency or conflict between provisions of the individual Confirmation and provisions of this Agreement shall be resolved in favor of any provisions of the Confirmation.

1.03

Each of the following terms when used in this Agreement will have the meaning given to it in this section:

a)

“ Actual Btu ” means the monthly ton-weighted average as-received calorific value (stated in Btu/lb.).

b)

“ Buyer ” means the Party to a Transaction who is obligated to purchase and receive Coal, or causes Coal to be received.

c)

“ Claim ” means all claims or actions threatened or filed that directly or indirectly relate to the subject matter of this Agreement, including but not limited to indemnity, the resulting losses, damages, expenses, reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

d)

“ Coal ” means any and all Coal to be sold by Seller and purchased by Buyer pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

e)

“ Electronic ” means faxes, telegraphs, emails, and all other forms of electronic data transfer.

f)

“ Standard Btu ” means the standard calorific value as set forth in a Confirmation (stated in Btu/lb.) and is the basis for a price adjustment as described in Section 9.03.

g)

“ Seller ” means the Party to a Transaction who is obligated to sell and deliver Coal or causes Coal to be delivered.

h)

“ Ton ” means 2,000 pounds avoirdupois .

i)

“Loading Provisions” means the terms and conditions of Buyer’s contracts or excerpts thereof that Seller has reviewed and approved. The Loading Provisions are further described in Section 4.04 and attached as Exhibit A.

2.01

This Agreement shall begin on the date first set forth above and shall continue in effect until terminated by either Party upon sixty (60) days written notice to the other Party, which right of termination shall be each Party’s absolute right to exercise. Termination of this Agreement under this Article shall not affect either Party’s rights and obligations with respect to any Transactions that have been agreed to in writing in a Confirmation prior to termination.

3.01

Buyershall be obligated to purchase and pay for, and Seller shall be obligated to sell and tender for delivery, the amount of Coal agreed to in a Confirmation, except as may be limited by Article 11 of this Agreement.

3.02

Unless otherwise limited in the Confirmation, Buyer has the right to ship or use the Coal delivered under this Agreement at any of Buyer’s locations or for any such purpose Buyer designates.

4.01

For each Transaction, Seller agrees to tender to Buyer and Buyer agrees to accept from Seller the quantity of Coal as provided in the relevant Confirmation. Seller shall tender the Coal to Buyer in accordance with reasonable monthly delivery schedules to be submitted by

Buyer in accordance with the Agreement and the Confirmation. Schedules shall be based on a ratable monthly basis unless otherwise agreed to by both Parties. In addition, Buyer shall provide Seller with monthly schedules at least sixty (60) days prior to the beginning of each applicable month. If the Seller objects to a schedule submitted by Buyer, Seller shall notify Buyer of its objections within fifteen (15) days of Seller’s receipt of such schedule and the Parties shall work together in good faith to agree on a reasonable and mutually acceptable schedule. The mine(s) used to source the Coal supplied under this Agreement shall be any mine set forth in the Confirmation.

4.02

Buyer shall supply the appropriate unit train railcars. Said railcars shall be of a size compatible with the loading requirements set forth in this Agreement. Unit train sizes will normally vary from 105 to 135 railcars per train; however, depending on railcar availability, shorter or longer trains may occasionally be operated by mutual agreement.

4.03

Unless excused by Article 11 of this Agreement, if Buyer fails over a quarterly basis to schedule the appropriate unit trains for delivery of an amount of Coal scheduled under a Transaction, Seller shall have the right at Seller’s sole option to reduce the annual quantities of that Transaction by the deficit from the scheduled amount. This right shall be in addition to any other rights available to Seller hereunder.

4.04

Seller shall cause Coal to be loaded and delivered at the loading facilities into railcars supplied by Buyer. Seller agrees to comply with the weighing and railcar Loading Provisions. Said Loading Provisions are subject to Seller’s ability to load the required net tonnages in Buyer’s railcar without significant risk of spillage or exceeding railcar limits and shall be in general compliance with industry standards for the applicable coal region. Seller shall have at least 48 hours notice of any changes to the Loading Provisions. If the changes to the Loading Provisions are inconsistent with Seller’s commitments as otherwise set forth in this Agreement and Seller’s then current operating practice, Seller shall not be liable for

noncompliance with such changes unless expressly accepted by Seller. Should the obligations as set forth in this Article 4 not be met, and as a result, Buyer incurs costs under its transportation agreement with the rail carrier as a direct result of Seller’s not meeting its obligation hereunder and such failure is not the fault of either Buyer or the railroad, then Seller shall reimburse Buyer for any such costs as set forth in Exhibit A.

4.05

The scheduled Coal shall be F.O.B. loaded in Buyer-provided railcars at the delivery point located at each individual mine (“Delivery Point”). Buyer’s railcars and unit train shall be compatible with Seller’s trackage, storage and loading facilities, and shall be ready to load upon arrival at the individual mine. Seller shall load each railcar at Seller’s expense and shall complete the loading of all railcars in each unit train within four hours after the first empty railcar is actually placed by the railroad under the Seller’s loading chute. Unless excused by Article 11 or due to actions of Buyer or Buyers rail carrier, Seller shall be responsible for demurrage or other charges invoiced to Buyer by Buyer’s rail carrier resulting directly from Seller’s failure to load Buyer’s trains as provided above.

4.06

Seller is required to load each railcar to the gross weight(s) designated in the Confirmation; however, under no circumstances will the gross weight exceed the maximum limit established by the rail carrier(s) for the railcar type and for the designated train routes. Should Seller load any railcar on Buyer’s behalf outside of these specified limits, the Seller assumes any and all reasonable costs which may be charged by the rail carrier(s) and paid by Buyer as a direct result of such underloading or overloading of these railcars.

5.01

Title to the Coal and all risk of loss shall pass to Buyer upon completion of loading all railcars in each unit train at the Delivery Point.

5.02

Seller shall be responsible for, and shall indemnify Buyer for, any and all direct reasonable costs resulting from damage to: (i) Buyer’s equipment if such equipment is damaged while on Seller’s property except to the extent such damage is caused by the negligence or recklessness of Buyer or its contracted rail carrier; and (ii) Buyer’s equipment, including mobile railcars and stationary equipment at Buyer’s electric generating station, if said equipment is damaged as a result of non-Coal material having been interspersed with the tendered Coal prior to leaving Seller’s mine property.

6.01

At the Delivery Point, all tendered Coal shall be raw, substantially free of magnetic material and other foreign material impurities, and crushed to a maximum size as set forth in the Confirmation as determined in accordance with applicable American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

6.02

If there are three (3) Non-Conforming Shipments as defined in Section 6.04, whether rejected or not, under a Transaction in any three (3) month period or, if two (2) out of four (4) consecutive shipments under a Transaction are Non-Conforming Shipments, Buyer may upon notice confirmed in writing and sent to Seller, suspend future shipments except those shipments already loaded into railcars. Seller shall, within sixty (60) days, provide Buyer with reasonable assurances that subsequent deliveries of Coal shall meet or exceed the specifications set forth in the Confirmation. If Seller fails to provide such assurances within that sixty (60) day period, Buyer shall have the right to terminate the Transaction without further obligation hereunder on the part of either party. Termination shall be the sole remedy of Buyer under this Section. Buyer’s waiver of this right for any one train shall not constitute a

waiver for subsequent trains. If Seller provides such assurances to Buyer’s reasonable satisfaction, deliveries hereunder shall resume and any tonnage deficiencies resulting from suspension may be made up at Buyer’s sole option subject to a mutually agreeable schedule. Buyer shall not unreasonably withhold its acceptance of Seller’s assurances, or delay the resumption of shipment.

6.03

The Parties recognize during the performance of a Transaction, legislative, regulatory bodies or the courts may adopt environmental laws, rules, and regulations that will make it impossible or commercially impracticable for Buyer to utilize or to remarket Coal purchased under this Agreement. If, as a result of the adoption of such laws, rules, and regulations or changes in the interpretation or enforcement thereof, Buyer, in good faith, decides it will be impossible or commercially impracticable for Buyer to utilize or to remarket such Coal, Buyer shall promptly notify Seller in writing. After receiving such notification, Buyer and Seller shall promptly consider whether corrective actions can be taken in the mining and preparation of the Coal, in the operation of Buyer’s generating station, or in Seller’s substituting different source Coal. If in the Parties’ reasonable judgment such actions will, make it impossible and commercially impracticable for Buyer to utilize or to remarket tendered Coal without violating any applicable law, regulation, policy, or order, Buyer shall have the right, upon sixty (60) days notice to Seller, to terminate the Transaction without further obligation on the part of either party. Termination shall be the sole remedy of Buyer and Seller under this section.

If Rejection Limits are specified in the Confirmation, this Section 6.04 shall apply.

6.04

If any Shipment of Coal triggers any of the Rejection Limits specified in the Confirmation for a Transaction (a “Non-Conforming Shipment”), Buyer shall have the option, within twenty-four (24) hours of Buyer’s receipt of the quality analysis of the Coal, of either (i) rejecting such Non-Conforming Shipment prior to unloading the Coal, or, (ii) accepting the Non-Conforming Shipment and in addition to any quality adjustments outlined in the Confirmation, reducing the

price of Coal for such trainload by $0.50 per ton. If Buyer fails to timely exercise its rejection rights under this Section as to a Shipment, Buyer shall be deemed to have waived such rights to reject with respect to that Shipment only. Buyer’s failure to timely exercise such notice does not constitute a waiver of its right to any penalty adjustment provided for herein or in the relevant Confirmation. If Buyer timely rejects the Non-Conforming Shipment, Seller shall be responsible for promptly transporting the rejected Coal to an alternative destination determined by Seller and, if applicable, promptly unloading such Coal. Seller shall reimburse Buyer for all reasonable costs and expenses associated with the transportation, storage, handling and removal of the Non-Conforming Shipment. Buyer shall cooperate with Seller in minimizing Seller’s cost of redirecting the rejected Coal. Seller shall replace the rejected coal within a reasonable period of time.

7.01

Seller shall cause, at its expense, the Coal in each unit train to be sampled and analyzed at the individual mine in accordance with applicable ASTM standards. Buyer shall have the right, at its own risk and expense, to have a representative present at any and all times to observe sampling and analysis procedures. All samples shall be divided into three (3) parts and put in suitable airtight containers. One part shall be furnished to Buyer or its designee for its analysis, one part shall be retained for analysis by Seller or its designee (which analysis shall be the basis for payment), and the third part shall be retained by Seller or its designee in one of the aforesaid containers properly sealed and labeled for a period thirty (30) days after the date of sample collection. Buyer’s samples are to be clearly labeled as to mine, date of sampling, date of preparation, and other identification as to shipment (such as train identification number) and are to be sent within forty-eight (48) hours of train loading to the address listed below unless a different address is provided by Buyer in the Confirmation or otherwise in writing. Seller shall cause the following data, subject to future adjustment, to be provided to Buyer by a mutually agreed upon method of electronic data transmission within

forty-eight (48) hours of train loading: tonnage (gross, net, and tare average for each railcar and the unit train in total), and the average calorific value, % moisture, % ash, % sulfur, and % Na ₂ O in ash (if set forth in the Confirmation), (the “Short Proximate Analysis”). Any additional analysis requested by Buyer that exceeds the information provided in the Short Proximate Analysis shall be at Buyer’s expense.

Mailing address for sample splits :

Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative

Attn: Ron Ehlert

7525 Red River Road

Wahpeton, MN 58075-9698

7.02

In the event a dispute arises between Buyer and Seller within thirty (30) days of Seller’s analysis due to a difference between Buyer and Seller’s short proximate analyses of a sample that exceeds the ASTM interlab repeatability limits, an independent testing laboratory, mutually agreeable to Buyer and Seller, will be retained to analyze the third part of such sample. The Party whose calorific value analysis is closest to the independent analysis shall prevail and such Party’s calorific value analysis shall govern for the trainload in question. In such case, the cost of the analysis made by such independent testing laboratory will be borne by the Party whose calorific value analysis is furthest from the independent analysis and therefore, not used. In the event both Parties’ calorific value analyses differ from the independent testing laboratory’s result by the same amount, the independent testing laboratory’s result shall govern for the trainload in question and the Parties shall share equally the cost of the independent testing.

ARTICLE 8. WEIGHING

8.01

Certified commercial scales at Seller’s train loading facility at each individual mine will determine weights. Scales shall be calibrated and tested as customary in industry practice with copies of calibration and testing reports provided to Buyer upon request. If Seller’s scales are not available to determine the valid net weight of all of the railcars in a unit train

but valid weights are obtained for thirty (30) or more railcars in such train, the arithmetic average of all of the valid net weights of the thirty or more railcars in such train shall be used as the net weight for each railcar in such train for which a valid net weight was not determined by Seller’s scales. If Seller’s scales are inoperative or fail to determine the valid net weight of at least thirty (30) railcars in a unit train, the weighted arithmetic average of the net railcar weights of the previous ten (10) unit trainloads of Coal shipped to Buyer shall be used as the net weight for each of the unweighed railcars in such train. The calculation of the weighted arithmetic average net weight for the previous ten (10) unit trainloads shall exclude all bad-order railcars, which were not loaded, and any trainload of Coal for which the net weights were estimated on thirty (30) or more railcars. The Buyer shall be notified electronically immediately after the above instance occurs.

ARTICLE 9. PRICE AND PRICE ADJUSTMENTS

9.01

For all Coal delivered under this Agreement, Buyer shall pay Seller the base price as set forth in the Confirmation.

9.02

Seller shall be solely responsible for all assessments, fees, costs, expenses, and taxes relating to the mining, production, sale, use, loading and tender of Coal to Buyer or in any way accruing or levied prior to transfer of title to the Coal to Buyer and including, without limitation, severance taxes, royalties, ad valorem, black lung fees, reclamation fees and other costs, charges and liabilities. The base price includes reimbursement to Seller of all environmental, land restoration and regulatory costs, including without limitation any reclamation costs required under applicable federal, state or local law as of the date of the Transaction. Buyer shall be responsible for any sales and/or use tax unless Buyer provides Seller an appropriate exemption certificate or similar document. The base price shall be subject to adjustments for changes in existing laws and regulations (including changes in levies and rates), or new laws or regulations, or changes in interpretations thereof enacted

and in force during the term of sale set forth in the Confirmation that change Seller’s costs of producing Coal for delivery pursuant to any Confirmation. Notwithstanding the above, no price adjustment will occur under this Section until the cumulative effect of all such changes equals or exceeds $0.05 per ton for any calendar year under a Transaction. Seller shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to inform Buyer of any such change as soon as Seller becomes aware of such change and its effect on the base price of Coal hereunder.

9.03

The base price may also include an adjustment based upon the calorific value, sulfur content or other qualities of the Coal as the Parties may mutually agree upon and as set forth in the Confirmation.

ARTICLE 10. INVOICES, PAYMENTS, NETTING, SET OFF, AND CREDIT RATINGS

10.01

Based on Seller’s weights, Seller will invoice Buyer twice a month for all Coal delivered. Invoices for quality adjustment, as provided in a Transaction, shall be issued monthly, based on Seller’s analyses. Seller shall clearly indicate Buyer’s applicable purchase order number on all invoices. Each invoice shall state for each trainload of Coal: the quantity of Coal delivered, the Actual Btu and SO ₂ , % Na ₂ O in ash (if set forth in the Confirmation) and the invoice price and any other required quality adjustment. Invoices shall be mailed or electronically transmitted, as applicable, to:

Invoices to Minn-Dak:

Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative
Attn: Arland Anderson
7525 Red River Road
Wahpeton, ND 58075-9698
Email: aanderson@minndak.coop

Invoices to RTEA :

Rio Tinto Energy America Inc.
Attn: Revenue Accounting
Caller Box 3017 (82717-3017)
405 West Boxelder Road, Suite D
Gillette, WY 82718

Checks to RTEA:

Rio Tinto Energy America Inc.
Account Number 060-00298-13
Wells Fargo, N.A.
P.O. Box 26094
Salt Lake City, UT 84126-0094

ACH/Wires to RTEA :

Rio Tinto Energy America Inc.
Account # 060-00298-13
Wells Fargo Bank
41 East 100 South
ACH ABA # 124000012
Wire ABA # 121000248

Payment Detail :

To ensure proper allocation of payments to appropriate invoice, e-mail invoice numbers and amounts to: Doreen.Heuck@Riotinto.com or information may be faxed to (307) 687-6010.

10.02

For all invoices, payment will be made within 5 business days of receipt of that invoice. Amounts shall be paid via check or electronic means (i.e., ACH or Federal Reserve wire transfer of funds). The wire transfer of funds shall be sent to Seller’s bank as indicated on the invoice.

10.03

In the event Buyer in good faith disputes part or all of an invoice, notice of the disputed portion, with reasons for dispute, must be given prior to the due date of the invoice and the undisputed portion shall be paid by the due date. If the disputed portion is determined to have been properly due and payable, interest on that portion in dispute and which has not been paid shall accrue from the date that portion was due and payable. If a disputed portion is paid and is later determined not to have been properly due and payable, interest will similarly be refunded from the date payment had been received. Interest shall be paid at one (1) percentage point over the then current U.S. prime rate as listed in the Money Rates section of The Wall S