I will ask MoMoRaptor but he never replies to emails.
Well, that's interesting. Not much of a guru, is he?
A J.V. agreement can be executed in a short period of time as well as a buyout of any property. It can be done in 2 weeks if wanted.
Sure it can, if you like the idea of throwing away $600 million for something you haven't bothered to verify. In addition, that is not really how mining JVs work. NO huge sums are paid up front. Usually the JV is projected to last for years, with a certain amount of work done each year, and a certain amount of money spent.