Ann: Annual Report to shareholders, page-33

It's a question of where is the best place to allocate the capital. If there are good upside opportunities in the gas business, it would be silly to drill another well in Surprise if the most likely result is a well that will just about cover its costs two or three years down the track.

I understand that people are unhappy about the delays and want to see action, but I honestly think CTP is being prudent here in waiting to see how Surprise 1's production evolves before they commit to anything new there. It already lived up to its name and delivered a nasty surprise in the form of significantly lower flow rates than indicated by the EPT, which really is odd.

But I agree the smoke and mirrors job is doing a lot of damage to the company's image.