I could only guess, but I would suggest he / us were given an...

I could only guess, but I would suggest he / us were given an adequate assurance or understanding that all will be well if the first action was cancelled/dropped.

It is likely that although this is just 1 well it's success and scale of it as we all understand might be possible will and does have far reaching consequences. Not least of which are the political ones.

My lesson here that I have learned, grudgingly, is that once a venture gets political, perhaps it's best to recognise that early and be elsewhere.

I am staying and will hopefully survive the dalliances of the mk and elbow. I am also on plibersek watch - for left field shenanigans.