window closing?

- Confirms that QRN, AGO, WNI and FMS are in bed together
- FMS is heavily reliant on AGO
- Give me 20c and AGO or the like can have this shamble

"Though Atlas rejects the suggestion, the signs don't auger well for the company's longer-term expansion phase to 46 million tonnes by 2017. Analyst Matthew Hope wrote this week that Credit Suisse was now ''sceptical'' that the 46 million tonne phase would ever eventuate.

If he is right, it will spell bad news for Flinders Mines and Brockman Mining, two companies whose iron ore already looks to be a long way from ever getting out of the ground.

Atlas' ''Horizon 2'' affects Flinders and Brockman because the three companies are considering building a single, multi-user railway with QR National to service their East Pilbara assets.

If Atlas withdraws from that project, it's doubtful that Flinders and Brockman will be in a position to build the railway on their own.

''Our overarching view now is that any project outside of BHP and Rio that is not yet substantially complete will miss out on the window of opportunity,'' Mr Hope wrote.

BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto agree that their window of opportunity for iron ore expansion remains open."

http://www.smh.com.au/business/week-in-which-minor-miners-resolved-to-stay-small-20121019-27wrj.html