Oh, please. Nobody is trying to steal anything. It's a business negotiation, and the opening move has been made... finally! Nobody expects that the deal will close after the first move, do they? It's the market and the principals setting a price for the known assets and (here's where the poker game starts) what each side *thinks* the other may be holding or may draw in the next round of drilling.

Does anyone really think that each one of the players in the RoF is going to bring their own little piece of the ring into production? That consolidation isn't going to occur to make production economically possible?

I am really sorry that you are so bent out of shape by this turn of events, NN, but trying to fight reality will just make you unhappy. It isn't over, not by a long shot. All we can do is to watch the fireworks and vote our shares. Just my $0.02.