I wonder if Shell had to get into the data room for the A3 DST logs. If that was the case that may have been enough to coax them to sign the CA. In either event I suspect nothing prevented them from putting in their bid without the CA. After all, they had been in discussions with IOC for years and had to know what IOC and the government was looking for, scope and format. I see no way that the bidding process was reopened for RDS.
What would concern me is this. IOC has been under immense pressure to keep Duma's agency informed during this process. Undoubtably that meant confidential information was being given to them concerning the bidders and the nature of the proposals in hand and under discussion. It could very well have been some of those bids were manipulated...er adjusted... to satisfy Duma demands thus making them ultimately less satisfactory. (I say Duma, but he may have been simply a pawn in this mix and not the true puppetmaster). If such malfeasance occurred it seems very possible a subsequent review of the bidding process was necessary leading to a delay.
Another scenario would have the mole feeding shorts over the past few years information concerning activities underway undermining IOC and its efforts to monetize its discoveries. That mole subsequently found itself caught in a circle of bigger and bigger lies after the source of the IOC undermining power was in some way deballed. That event may well have ultimately been the election landslide by ONeil. We now have 14 million shares short with a large number of those shares possibly established according to the bigger fool theory.
Nonetheless, it is still possible there is no accretive bid for E/A, or there is some catastrophe waiting for IOC on the horizon. I doubt though that's the case. The company and its assets have become far too public and PNG's need for investment too large for a government takeover to occur, and that is the only way IOC gas does not get to market. We might never see IOC share prices at 1,000 but it sure seems like $250 this year is a 3 inch putt.
Here's an old Facebook post from last October that suggests what kind of money might be behind the undermining of IOC's interests:
Ministers Duma and Palo visit Hagan with Indonesian fugitive
October 16, 2012 7 comments
Eyewitness account from Facebook
"International Indonesian fugitive Joko Chaundra Soegerto clandestine arrival in Mount Hagen last weekend (Saturday) was witnessed by a few.
"I just drove past the golf course at the back of Mount Hagen Airport and saw a white green stripe private jet parking there.
"I quickly drove into the terminal area of the airport to check who it was and the people advised me that it was our good Minister William Duma with an Iraqi Oil tycoon. The people at Mount Hagen Airport were caught with surprise.
"I waited and saw an Asian man with Hon William Duma and Hon Ano Pala getting onto the jet. It didn’t dawn on me until I checked PNG Exposed blog which shows the same picture.
"Let alone the controversy surrounding the granting of citizenship to this fugitive, he is into many deals including the controversial rice project in the Central Province which is expected to be approved by the NEC some time this week.
"I’m also wondering where the plane came from to land in Hagen. If it was from an overseas port, Mount Hagen Airport is not the port of entry and wondering why it landed there before heading off to Port Moresby."
What would concern me is this. IOC has been under immense pressure to keep Duma's agency informed during this process. Undoubtably that meant confidential information was being given to them concerning the bidders and the nature of the proposals in hand and under discussion. It could very well have been some of those bids were manipulated...er adjusted... to satisfy Duma demands thus making them ultimately less satisfactory. (I say Duma, but he may have been simply a pawn in this mix and not the true puppetmaster). If such malfeasance occurred it seems very possible a subsequent review of the bidding process was necessary leading to a delay.
Another scenario would have the mole feeding shorts over the past few years information concerning activities underway undermining IOC and its efforts to monetize its discoveries. That mole subsequently found itself caught in a circle of bigger and bigger lies after the source of the IOC undermining power was in some way deballed. That event may well have ultimately been the election landslide by ONeil. We now have 14 million shares short with a large number of those shares possibly established according to the bigger fool theory.
Nonetheless, it is still possible there is no accretive bid for E/A, or there is some catastrophe waiting for IOC on the horizon. I doubt though that's the case. The company and its assets have become far too public and PNG's need for investment too large for a government takeover to occur, and that is the only way IOC gas does not get to market. We might never see IOC share prices at 1,000 but it sure seems like $250 this year is a 3 inch putt.
Here's an old Facebook post from last October that suggests what kind of money might be behind the undermining of IOC's interests:
Ministers Duma and Palo visit Hagan with Indonesian fugitive
October 16, 2012 7 comments
Eyewitness account from Facebook
"International Indonesian fugitive Joko Chaundra Soegerto clandestine arrival in Mount Hagen last weekend (Saturday) was witnessed by a few.
"I just drove past the golf course at the back of Mount Hagen Airport and saw a white green stripe private jet parking there.
"I quickly drove into the terminal area of the airport to check who it was and the people advised me that it was our good Minister William Duma with an Iraqi Oil tycoon. The people at Mount Hagen Airport were caught with surprise.
"I waited and saw an Asian man with Hon William Duma and Hon Ano Pala getting onto the jet. It didn’t dawn on me until I checked PNG Exposed blog which shows the same picture.
"Let alone the controversy surrounding the granting of citizenship to this fugitive, he is into many deals including the controversial rice project in the Central Province which is expected to be approved by the NEC some time this week.
"I’m also wondering where the plane came from to land in Hagen. If it was from an overseas port, Mount Hagen Airport is not the port of entry and wondering why it landed there before heading off to Port Moresby."