Yes, "the only obvious hurdle" does indeed appear to be "current...

Yes, "the only obvious hurdle" does indeed appear to be "current cash balances". And that's where IMO its likely HP will fast-track matters by coming in with the necessary cash in exchange for a big bundle of dirt cheap shares. I stress however, that's only my opinion - based largely on my assumption that HP has been working on this situation for some time. I don't pretend to be an expert but (as I've mentioned previously) I have seen this kind of situation before.
However, a few words of caution as the gold euphoria grows ... We still await important drilling results; there will be a number of brokers out there trying to restrain the SP so they can get clients in as cheaply as possible; a number of long-suffering shareholders who bought in at a high price some time ago may view current circumstances as an ideal time to average down, etc etc. While I hope for - and expect - the SP to climb, we may well still be in for some choppy trading ahead. GLTAH.