If we read the 'Developments' section form the Qtrly report for...

If we read the 'Developments' section form the Qtrly report for the Stage 2 West Whundoo Copper-Zinc project it clearly states 'no further waste removal is now required' which to me and my limited\amateur mining knowledge suggests in layman terms 'we are ready to mine the ore and process it'.
Then they go onto say 'processing of the copper-zinc ore is expected to continue over an 8 month period' & that the 'Stage 2 cutback is on schedule to enable zinc PRODUCTION' to commence in Feb. 2007'.

My question: why would you start producing zinc if u don't have a buyer for it ?
Management have said discussions have been occurring to sign an offtake agreement - perhaps this is part of the issue ?
....... that's why if they insist on being a Zinc producer this month, there has to be an agreement in place with someone ...... shouldn't there be ????
Also, there were Zinifex 'whispers' just lately ... could this also have something to do with the halt ?

Perhaps the trip to China (if they did go there) was to consolidate their current offtake agreement with Jinchuan for copper and the nickel play at Sholl ?

Or would Western Areas also be involved somewhere as far as Fox's nickel finds are concerned ? (still not fully convinced why Julian Hanna resigned a couple of weeks back in the midst when FXR's price was heading south - I guess its my paranoia !!).

There are countless scenarios we could hypothesize, both positive and negative ... driving myself nutz over this.

But one would think, for a company that has spat out good announcements time and time again for well over a year now, how could it suddenly turn so wrong ?