Coal

[sumisu]

West Hawk Announces Joint Venture with Lu'An Mining Group
Thursday May 11, 3:05 am ET

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(MARKET WIRE)--May 11, 2006 -- West Hawk Development Corp. ("West Hawk") (TSX VENTURE:WHD.V - News)(FWB:H5N) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Lu'An Mining Group Corporation of Shanxi Province, the Peoples Republic of China.

The intent of the MOU is to form a working relationship between the two companies focusing on the joint development of a coal gasification project in the Shanxi Province of the People's Republic of China. The companies will review certain coal resources owned by the Shanxi Lu'An Mining Group to determine the best resources available for a conventional Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) electrical power plant and a Coal-To-Liquids (CTL) plant (diesel & naphtha).

The companies will also explore the possibility of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), an underground gasification process, aided by the inherent high pressures of depth enabling the liberation of energy contained within the 95% of the worlds coal resources inaccessible by present day mining technology. Operating commercially in the former Soviet Union at a number of sites for more than 40 years, UCG has also recently been successfully demonstrated in Queensland, Australia.

Shanxi Lu'An Mining Group Corporation, Ltd. is one of the premier enterprises of Shanxi Province and one of the top 500 largest enterprises in China. Its major business includes coal, power generation, coking facilities, and chemical production. The company owns geological reserves totaling 9 billion metric tons of coal and has an annual coal production capacity of 30 million metric tons. Currently, it produces 17 high quality products used by more than 500 customers in China and exported to Japan, Korea and Hong Kong etc.

Shanxi Province is the largest coal producing region in both China and the world, producing 540,000,000 metric tons of coal annually accounting for 25% of China's coal production in 2005. Both Mr. Ren Runhou, Lu'An Coal Mining Group's President and Chairman, and Dr. Hart, West Hawk's President and COO, bring over 60 years of collective experience of coal mining and power generation experience to this collaborative venture. West Hawk's CEO, Chris Verrico stated, "This opportunity brings new dimension to the Company's clean coal gasification to energy business model."

West Hawk would like to thank Zhang Baoshun, Chairman of Standing Committee of the NPC, for the exceptional opportunity presented to West Hawk gaining exposure to the Energy business existing within Shanxi Province. Additionally we would also like to thank Chen Chuanping the Chairman of Taiyuan Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) for the opportunity to meet and discuss potential business synergies for both our companies.

West Hawk Development Corp. is an energy Company that is currently exploring and developing assets for the delivery of clean energy through gasification technologies. The company is currently defining coal resources in Western and Northern Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Townsend, Chairman of the Board

This news release contains certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the British Columbia Securities Commission and the United States Securities & Exchange Commission.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not yet reviewed and does not take responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Contact:
Contacts:
West Hawk Development Corp.
Michael Townsend
Chairman of the Board
[phone] or Toll Free: 1-866-669-9377
[phone] (FAX)
[e-mail]
http://www.westhawkdevelopment.