How much of the 8.5M went to TT we don't know. It's also unlikely that the rate is $500/hr. this study would have been conducted by a team. Some of the team would have been suport staff billing $80/hr, EITs billing at an avg or $100/hr. other intermediate P.Engs billing at $150/hr. and senior partners at $200per hr. these are oil&gas rates but I can't imaging mining being $500per hr for a senior partner. If $500/hr was the rate we got hosed! Depending on the contract and how it was written there maybe reward penalty clauses but judging by the performance I would guess there weren't. I bet next time Elmer writes a contract like this he will write in such clauses. If the BFS is 6000 page a good portion of this will be charts, tables , and backup data. If the meat and patatos was 3000 pages and the Appendixes 3000 ( I have no idea what is the norm, but something tells me 6000 pages isn't the norm either). Every page of text could take 3 to 8 hrs depending what you want to included (writing, formating, review, peer review) I would guess there is way more hrs in this BFS than anyone of us would guess. The finish is just around the next bend!