Making good points there, and the other poster who commented about technical expertise residing in OZL. There is one thing that we do know and its that OZL are pretty competent at finding and in constructing mines in SA on time and on budget, and BHP has a terrible record in doing the same, its only because WMC built it that Olympic Dam is there, if it were up to BHP then Olympic Dam would be in its umpteenth failed feasibility study and be nothing other than a paddock full of drill holes, BHP are simply buying the management and construction and permitting expertise that OZL management have in SA, and that BHP don't currently have.
Alll the synergies of having Prominent Hill, Olympic Dam and Carrepeteena together under one company are pretty obvious, and no other suitor other than BHP will realize these synergies (unless BHP dispose of Olympic Dam in which case the obvious buyer would be OZL). Oak Dam West will be an epic long-term exploration and construction project, I would plan on having all three operations of Olympic Dam, Carrepeteena and Prom Hill all pumping out profits to fund the construction and development costs of Oak Dam.
I would make it a condition of a successful takeover that most of the base metals management of BHP be shown the door, and their replacements be the management of OZL, just imagine what BHP could achieve with its world class assets if they had better management.
If an acceptable offer is made and a takeover/merger happens I would be more interested in where the current management of OZL went after that, thats where I would be looking in the future.
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