Geoprof ...

Excellent read.  With regards to ...

So why not sit back and hope that within the short time the list of juniors will get smaller as more drilling is done that will eliminate certain properties or attempt to negotiate "reasonable" (their words, not mine) J/V deals in the meantime?

... given the close relationship of CEOs Nemis, Novak, Watson, and Voisin, and if a couple of more "strikes" are made by NOT and SPQ-FWR, and if Peter Smith (FNC) is made to feel comfortable with the evolving situation at McFaulds (Smith is a smart dude), it is my feeling that there will come a day when there will be a "grand tete a tete" for a Grand JV.  It might take a battalion of company lawyers, but this would make negotiations with "a major" seemingly easier.

Snug