Ann: Trading Halt, page-78

If CNOOC only buys shares on market, they are no longer "strategic partner" as what CN called them. Buying shares on market has no direct influence on the company cash balance, but share allotments will.

Just re-read CN comments below from ASX release, I got a feeling CNOOC will come aboard this time and provide the funds in exchange of FAR's rich experience in West Africa. You need to treat CNOOC as Beijing government as it is basically a state owned company and Chinese has a 20 years plan to make Gulf of Guinea as their own "Gulf of Mexico". FAR just happened to walk into this big plan in the right place at right time with the right person (hopefully).

FAR Managing Director, Cath Norman, said: “The partnership and AMI with CNOOC UK dramatically enhances FAR’s ability to acquire new assets in our core strategic geographic area of expertise.

The complementary skills of both organisations strengthens our collective ability to build acreage positions offshore Senegal and The Gambia.

We are very pleased to have secured a strategic partner with the deep technical, operational and financial calibre of CNOOC UK. We look forward to working with CNOOC UK in securing and progressing new opportunities in the region.”