You are right. NOT has to avoid getting totally encircled by CLF influences and then relatively cut off from acquisition opportunities. CLF has already replaced NOT as the major actual and potential mover/deal maker in the RoF. On the one hand, NOT is certainly big enough to "go it alone" assuming resource and valuation will increase over time. On the other hand, if a (for example only) McDonald/Temex were pull a promising hole, a lot more market interest might get diverted from NOT. Keeping in mind NOT's market cap is large , though supported by demonstrated resources, being the largest prospective interest is also important to market perception and to enticing more than one major. Possibly the controlling NOT interests just do not want to commit more capital at these price levels, a bit of a Catch22. Unfortunately, most juniors would love to attract CLF's attention, so NOT could find the dating game very difficult a year from now. Clearly, critical mass will be of paramount importance to a major undertaking a 5 to 7 year capital development. I doubt the prospect of a single mine complex will be sufficient.