re: "Don't remember where I read it, as it's been a while, but I seem to remember an amount of something like 1.5B in assets PXD sold off somewhat recently..."

Heres a recent one for $540 million:

11/27/2007DALLAS (AP) - Oil and gas company Pioneer Natural Resources Co. said Tuesday it closed the sale of its Canadian subsidiary to Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC for $540 million in cash. AP

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?symbol=US:PXD&feed=AP&date=20071127&id=7860949

So we know that they must have at least that much laying around in a desk drawer somewhere. <g>