where have all the oil pros gone??, page-16

Shags , below is my spin on your concerns:

"1/Ted J was a founding Director. If he decided to bail out just before a long awaited company making deal..I would be very surprised? He is also is a major shareholder."

Ted has major challenges/comitments with CVN right now. He lives in Adelaide and has not been in the best health. Sure he is a highly credible Board 'name' , and a sad loss , but I believe his input to RIA affairs was limited.
By comparison , on an international scale , Simon Potter , is a far more influential and recognised 'name'.
I am sure Ted will remain a major shareholder.

2/I thought the changes RIA made to their consutitution in regard to takeover bids was to make this harder to be possible by being required to go to Shareholders for approval.

Yes that is correct. Athough some party(s) voted against the resolution so perhaps the company is/was indeed being 'stalked'and hence a reason to defer any major deal signing until after the AGM.??

"3/ The leases in the North West cant be much chop if RIA has not progressed them in three years and Tap Oil gave their share of one of them away for free."

DYOR on WA399p. To my mind this permit is an 'easy' farmout and will be farmed down in due course for a free caryy for CVN and RIA.

"RIA are all about finding new deals through their realtionship with CMI. For whatever reasons these arent eventuating, although I wish they would. I just cant see the fact that Ted J is leaving, means that we are closer to a deal?".

In The Annual Report , Ted described how RIA was looking to close deals that were suitable for its capital base (or words to that effect). Perhaps many of the CMI deals have simply been to large for RIA? Finding the right deal(s) takes time. I have every confidence this will occur and patience will be rewarded.
Further , Simon Potter , as a West African offshore specialist and saviour of so many holders of Hardman Resources shares by selling out to Tullow in 2007 has a huge following. If/when RIA lands a deal offshore West Africa (as they have alluded to several times) , then the Potter connection will not be lost on the market.
FYI Hardman Shareholders (of which I was one) owning 10,000 shares recieved about $10,600 in cash and 1,056 Tullow shares , now worth $25,000 approx , for a total circa $36~40,000.00 versus a very likely Hardman SP total of well below $10,000 given the troubles at Chinguetta.

Summary: No Ted conspiracy here. Im holding. The market is also telling us that things may be about to change based on volumes over the past 2 months DYOR