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Kapil, 'we need someone who will show some desperation'...have you taken leave of your senses? That's the very last thing we need.

Eloro, I suggest the best way to express your concern is to ask questions at the AGM and to email the company as they have outlined in the Circular. I admit their track record in this respect is not great, but they'll certainly get your drift, particularly as you will not be a lone voice.

I'm not sure where your reference to three years comes from?

Eloro, you say we're 'comfortable' waiting - we are not (or most of us aren't). However, we are realistic and understand this is taking much longer than anyone hoped. We also understand that if we loose our CEO it would be a raging disaster. It's a matter of pragmatism.

Fort, you seem to have forgotten the comments made by the ex-CEO of Glencore who recently said the modus operandi of the majors was to 'screw the junior explorers'. Do you think he was wrong? The idea that we'd be in 'safer hands', as you describe it, with BHP is laughable.

Eloro, I certainly agree with your point about the SR being open-ended, and said so at the time, but I guess he thought by giving a fixed timeline he was in danger of making a rod for his own back, and by implication, making the company's position more exposed.

Incidentally, I'm as unhappy about the situation as you are, but I do believe it's our best hope. None of us fully understood just what a mess the company was in - although a few of us suspected as much and voted against Mather in 2020. My support for DC vanished more or less the first time I heard him speak - his appointment was a disaster. In my opinion Caldwell is a huge improvement and he needs our support.

Eloro, we know he's heavily engaged in getting the various governmental agreements across the line as well as talking to the 20 interested parties. Given how slowly these things move, do you think it's his fault that they haven't all been signed-off yet? Or do you accept that governments move very slowly and that Ecuador has been through political turmoil over the post six months?

You seem to be of the opinion that he's sat on ar5e doing nothing, whereas I don't believe that for one moment.

Vote against him at your peril. And as for thinking supporting BHP is a good thing! God help us!

Eloro, I think you are underestimating the mess he inherited and the complexity of our assets. By the way, I think he underestimated it as well.

He's referred to calendar Q1 '24 and he certainly needs to come up with something by then.

NMM, you are right about DC's remuneration, both in terms of its quantum and just how outrageous it was. The amendment meant instead of receiving a mix of cash and shares he was to be paid in cash only. I believe the reference to 1.2m in June 2023 is a typo and, given he left the company in Nov '22, should read June 2022. I suppose it could be an out of court settlement, but I'm not sure why we would change his employment contract at that time and I'd have thought it would have been referred to as such. Another question is why was he paid a sign-on bonus in shares a full seven months after he started work?

Twigger and Mather were responsible for this and had Twigger not been resigning I'd have voted against him.

We remain in the dark about his departure and nor have we been told of what's happening with regards to his action against us.

The whole DC era was a debacle and it's clear he didn't get on with Caldwell. He was given the boot accordingly. However, anyone on here who blames Caldwell for DC's appointment and remuneration is mistaken - he had nothing to do with it and got rid of him as soon as he could.

Bozi, it's an interesting conundrum; do we grant the powers to the company or do we reserve the right to vote on a transaction knowing it may be defeated by BHP and possibly others?

Exactly what I predicted.

Anyone who wants to buy has already done so. Anyone who's holding is doing so either in anticipation of what's to come, or they don't want to take their losses.

Rcgl, quite right.

Fort, not strictly true. If BHP were truly opposed to a deal of some description, they could buy in the market to retain their 10%, although given the lack of liquidity it wouldn't be easy. It's equally possible Newmont may side with them.

If we wanted to join a celebration including some of the more extreme derampers on here it would have to be held in their padded cells at Broadmoor, so I think I'll pass on that.

Fort, what happens if we do a deal involving the sale of Cascabel, receiving a special dividend but keeping the rest? As I understand it this would require a 90% vote in favour, so BHP would still be in a pivotal position.

I'm guessing the reference to a Special Meeting will be nothing more than a repetition of a motion to dis-apply pre-emption rights. This has caused considerable disquiet amongst our main shareholders in the past and unless we've strike a deal with them I'd be surprised if we didn't see another rejection.

I'm in two minds about this. If we grant them the right they can do a deal involving the issue of shares without our approval. If we deny the motion, the board's hands will be tied in any negotiation; in other words it will always be subject to shareholder approval, which will strengthen BHP's position. What's your view?

If we really are reaching the end game, or some variant of it i.e a jv, I think I'm of the opinion we shareholders should be asked for approval. Perhaps a special resolution of this nature is more important than it's ever been?

RT, the answer is, not one of us has a clue. If it is going to happen he needs to get on with sharpish. Are you concerned that Noboa will not give approval? because there doesn't appear to be any evidence to support that. Mind you, this is Ecuador, so who knows?

RK, what about them? I can only see a total of approx 1.3m, which is not exactly earth-shattering, is it? Or were there more?

Referring back to the Bell Potter holding, I seem to recall that some time ago they were described as belonging to Mather and associated parties, plus various Australian private investors. I'm afraid there's nothing exciting about it.

Mather and others.