pj, I must admit I picked up on the "At this stage" also. The...

pj, I must admit I picked up on the "At this stage" also.

The problem at the moment is the price of oil is doing awful things to all O&G companies (including the big ones, the medium ones and the Middle East ones). It is at the moment a matter of "survival" for many; and for others... trying to maintain their market price / dividends. It would IMO be a horrible time to be running an O&G company!

The reality is sensible companies are putting all possibilities on the table...this to show shareholders they are thinking - and prepared to do anything to maintain their company value. I am positive, at the back of the mind of a company such as COP, is the view/hope that the POO will gain some sense in the next year allowing normal operations to re-commence.....at the moment though, say what needs to be said to calm the nerves of shareholders!!

For us FAR people, yes any "forced" sell out by COP will have a short term effect on FAR, but the reality is if COP sells (and someone else BUYS), then the level of oil existing in Senegal will still be the eventual determination of FAR's share price (if we survive that long before takeover!). As has been said many times... (eventually) "the share price will look after itself!"

Maximizing our return in this stock is not going to be easy...the market (eg. POO) has both positive and negative short term affects, and will result in fluctuations along the way. However, if as we all expect (and hope) that there is LOTS of oil in them there holes, then eventually we will be very happy.

Keep the Faith!

dodds