Hey KD...I also spoke to them and threw a few ideas their way...unofficially and IMHO, this case will never see the courtroom or the light of day. It is my distinct impression that following the events of May 24 to Aug 2010, Cliffs decided that they would wait out KWG, whom at the time were low on capital.

The strategic and very profitable capitalization of the NSR solved that problem, but created one for Cliffs...how to make KWG run out of time and/or money...when they brainstormed the room, no one around the table could find grounds for a lawsuit against KWG....Hmmm someone said: "we need some more time ourselves, otherwise its going to cost us a "sheet load" of moolah.

One of them suggested":We have to create a time-consuming scenario that is plausible and at the same time, make our shareholders believe that we are working hard for them." Some other unicell amiba blurted out:"let's export them"..."you mean expropriate them", the other corrected. "Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket". From that primitive conversation spawned the idea of applying for an easement on the mining claims linked together form the north south corridor. The same corridor which Cliffs themsleves had collaborated on, when they and KWG were still having coffee and pastries together in the board room.

Flash forward to May 2012, and you find Cliffs late in providing their junior partner with the results for the metallurgical testing, as well as the drilling results, for BD. How can they save face with their shareholders who are leaving in droves:"Tie them up in a quasi legal process until the government forks over the cash. They'll have to keep to their story about the 350km "all-season road" and stall "them" until they commit to the RR".

Dumb "sheets" never realized that our native populations actually have rights and a voice here in Canada. Now they are dancing the "two step double bait and switch" trying to make the process go quickly, but they have run into a commissionner who will not be intimidated... hooray! for the forces of good.

So here we sit waiting...for the Mining Commissioner's hearing dates...for the dilling and metallurgical test results...for an eventual decision on the easement request...for a decision from the ONT and FED govs on $$$ for the RR...for Cliffs to come to their senses (10%) or for the "sheet" to hit the proverbial fan (90%)...which will come first?...answer! none of the above.

IMHO Cliffs will, in their omnipotent manner, stick to their guns, even if it prevents them from transitionning into "their planned feasibility study". The Govs will continue to plan for an RR, while including KWG, Noront, Cliffs, the FNs, CN or CP and any other deep pockets that might want to take a share of costs in exchange for a %tage of returns.

Then just as Cliffs appears to have played a smart hand, a bigger fish (Glencore...with Xstrata in its back pocket) will come in and take control of what amounts to the whole North American Ferrochrome market, buying out the chromite assets of Cliffs, KWG, Noront and Probe so that they can sell to whomever, whenever...They will inherit the new Hydro deal (which made Xstrata leave for Quebec in the first place) and go back to Sudbury to resume operations of the smelter. Cliffs can go back to doing what they know best (coal and iron pellets). ("best" is a relative term in this case).

They (Glencore) will realize the advantages of mining both BT and BD simultaneosly, which will greatly benefit the economy and all parties concerned. Mr McGuinty will be overrun by the big wigs who actually had a vision for appropriate use of resources in Ontario and Canada.

Someone will write a book about this pivotal phase of our mining history...it will be made into a movie with Wilhelm Defoe playing the part of the "immovable rock, Frank Smeenk" in this epic parallel of Sampson and Goliath...place your bets ladies and gents ... let's see how much of this plays out or...how full of "sheet" I am...hahaha

Best of luck to all KWG longs

Le Penseur