drilling contract terminated, page-34

Anatol, the most basic explanation for the price graph you post is insider trading. Insiders new about the background gas and the stock was bid up four days prior to the public release. Insiders also know about the drilling problem, and the stock is bid down four days before the public release.

You see these kinds of pre-release trading patterns in stocks all over the world. That's the basis for the saying "Buy the rumor and sell the news." It's probably very hard for a small company like NSE to control the flow of news from individuals who are at the drill site?