Member Info for Prospect-

Well Dutch,

Testing is going on right now...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51906604

"... and to the extent the current adverse circumstances were to result in the need for deferral of commencement of operations until after early June 2020, the next practical window to prudently commence operations would be from mid-October 2020 onwards."

RNS provides some reassurance that BPC will get through the Covid-19 crisis. We've now been provided with another indicative date of October 2020 onwards dependent the Covid-19 crisis.

Think this is what we are looking at given that government talks about a 4 month isolation period for vulnerable sections of the community meaning that for 4 months Covid-19 is impacting and the flattening of the curve just causes delay in immunity - if there is indeed immunity and focus hasn't shifted to vaccine; as some reports are showing re-infections.

Markets have to realise that if actors don't start showing resilience in the face of Covid-19 they will be forced to shut down. Let's see what happens.

According to this report about reinfections.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/japan-coronavirus-test-positive-recover-a9404056.html

oldabutnowisa,

Already new measures are being introduced to counter short selling and in some stocks an outright ban has been imposed in some countries. My guess is this is going to happen across the board. Just a matter of time. Net position holders of 0.1% have to now report that to relevant authorities.

LW,

In complete agreement. I still hold they should shut the equities market until this virus blows over otherwise it's curtains.

Just popped over to my local chemist and was surprised to see the entire staff wearing face masks.... I just went in to get panadol.

Steveiom,

Not really. Oil has dropped into $20 range. What we are witnessing is exceptional. Markets should close until this pandemic is over. The only people winning are shorts. Equities are tangible assets and if short sellers are driving equities to oblivion due to panic hysteria then financial stability comes into question.

Just look at it today. Wholesale slaughter everywhere. If governments are busy telling peeps to stay at home then they should close the markets round the globe to stop the panic selling.

Do think the media is stirring up mass hysteria. Who knows might be deliberately done to make sure peeps lock themselves away. Seems to be working. imho.

Well, if Bill Gates wants to reduce the population with his Malthusian beliefs perhaps he ought to start with himself lol

Daily Mail was just reporting on the Guardian article which stated the same.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/15/uk-coronavirus-crisis-to-last-until-spring-2021-and-could-see-79m-hospitalised

Circuit breakers have been triggered in NYSE due to short selling...

Mind I'm having a great day in FX today lol

Some newspapers reporting that 8 million will need hospital treatment and 80% of the population will be infected.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8114925/Britains-coronavirus-crisis-Spring-2021-7-9million-people-hospitalised.html

Findme,

Afraid my back wouldn't be able to hack it. The dog might do being an American Akita and all. lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgnJ8GpsBG8

keith1,

Thinking how BPC could soar on confirmed drill date news, from these levels, seems everyone is expecting major delays. Yet, to buy now when this could drop further is challenging.

Think I will just take the dog for a walk...

GLA

There's a great deal of Covid-19 conspiracy theories floating about. However, none of them are going to solve the virus spreading and a great number of them might make the spread penetrate deeper into the population at large.

An interesting news report came out yesterday that the US administration had been trying to buyout a German Laboratory which was working on a vaccine to get exclusive rights over it and to be used only on the US population. Of course, the German government was having none of it and stated that any vaccine would be used for the world.

But, makes for an interesting geopolitical dynamic.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/15/trump-offers-large-sums-for-exclusive-access-to-coronavirus-vaccine

Government approach to the virus spread would be swayed by the daily death and infections rate. Eventually, it would follow the same pattern as in other nations severely infected; full lockdown. For example, I can see London being totally shutdown for a month or more. Government can't be seen to sit on its hands herd immunity or not. Plans are already in place and it's just a question of stepping up as the figures rise. Nature always favours winning at the end of the day. This is a battle against nature and one that mutates easily. The moral of the story is stop eating unusual wild creatures.

Well, the way I see it the government has gone for a herd immunity strategy in tackling COVID-19. What that means is that 60% of the population has to catch it and then after that it will be difficult to find a host as to spread as the majority would be immune.

The problem with this approach is that it is unproven and the government is basically approaching the virus with a policy that will see many vulnerable die.

Telling the old to lock themselves up and telling family members not to visit just proves the point imho. Yet, eventually, the old will get visitors and it will prove pretty pointless.

Flattening the curve so that NHS, etc., can cope just an admission that the battle is lost.

So take care gents you're on your own... as the preppers would say. No one apart from yourself is going to protect you.

As regards BPC, I think delay is inevitable.

“Or do we say, ‘Okay, maybe we can do this safely. We can create another industry. Let’s explore it.’”

Ferreira is correct because this is the problem with the current tourism industry....

https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/03/13/covid-19-ship-cant-dock/

only6greens,

Have the same view.

Either we have reached the bottom here or we still got further south to go and this is what's preventing me topping up.

I don't see the delay as bad if it is done through agreement. For example, if due to COVID-19 the drill can't go ahead and the license is extended as a result.

Benefits:

(1) More time to reach agreement with farm in partner
(2) More time to pull resources together to commence drilling.

Sure we may get more vega relative to indexes but prepared to weather that.