"What's going to be terribly interesting is how much higher than intrinsic value those with a speculative bent can push Noront in the short term."
Bring on the "higher than intrinsic" as I'm sure those favourable core samples you mentioned will reward those speculative types, who possess forward thinking, with a substantial resource. The resulting reward will match the fervor of the believers. Of course you would be right about the future volatility.
As for the 7 million trade today prohibiting MM activity, I disagree. There were a number of obvious walls set up today which impeded a more extreme hike to my estimation. But again that is just my estimation. Yesterdays minor drop brought about by MM was likewise paralleled today in the inability for MM to seriously hamper an SP rise in spite of the walls.