>I dunno. I don't like the sound of this:

"Depending on how that goes, we'll either be patting ourselves on the back or walking away," Mr. Cejka said.

There is nothing new or threatening in this statement. The walk away clause always had been part of the JV agreement.

"After each stage - up to the Development Program Stage - ExxonMobil may elect to not proceed to next stage in which case they will relinquish their interest in the Contract Area to Falcon."

However, the timing and the message not quite being in context with the article, makes you wonder about Mr. Cejka's intention. Hmmm...the two-year moratorium on purchase of FO stocks by the parties involved in the JV negotiation just expired.