I share your frustration TenSleep as I'm sure does every single member of this board.

Re the lack of news on closing a deal, I'm wondering if the reason is that instead of a straight farm-out like the Hess deal, they're negotiating a combination of farm-out of some areas and the sale of others?

I'm hazy on the details but I clearly remember that someone here was at one of the meetings and Phillip said something about taking advice from lawyers about selling some of the acreage (I don't think it was made clear which property he was talking about).

Maybe someone else can shed more light on this but it does make sense that such a deal would be far more complicated and take longer than a straightforward farm-out.

I also take comfort in the thoughtthat John Craven and Phillip O'Quigley don't strike me as the kind of guys who lose. Ever. I could be wrong, of course, but I still feel that with them at the helm it'll all turn out right in the end.

Also, isn't there some drilling license or other in Aus that needs renewing by the end of this year - at some considerable cost? Presumably if Falcon hasn't agreed a deal by then they'll have to fund it themselves. Can someone with a better memory than me come back on this please?

I've been on this rollercoaster ride since Jan 2009 so less than some, longer than others but I'm darned if I'm giving up now. Even if the bird turns out to be a dead duck I think I could live with that easier than finding I'd given away a winning lottery ticket!