What are the facts?1. The reservoir was picked more than 100...

What are the facts?
1. The reservoir was picked more than 100 metres shallower than in Chinguetti 1.
2. 4 cores (about 40 metres) were cut. It probably took at least 2 days for that - a costly exercise.

What inferences can we make?
1. There is oil and good reservoir in at least the first three cores, else the fourth would not have been cut.
2. Coring was not continued because the cores cut were representative of the reservoir. The amount is adequate for routine and special analyses and based on a "value of information" framework, no further cores are necessary.
3. It is unlikely that these analyses have been carried out yet, unless a core laboratory was set up in Nouakchott.
4. It is highly unlikely that this compartment is water bearing when a lower compartment contains oil.

Therefore, it is virtually impossible that the well is a dud.

What else is likely?
1. Further coring of the reservoir packages not seen in Chinguetti 1 (if they contain hydrocarbons)
2. Logging and recovery of wireline samples.

We may have interesting results by next Tuesday, or it may be delayed further.

Either way, I'm not selling!!

Good luck folk.