BB, I elect your post, Post of the day! I can see smokes coming out of your head with that kind of thinking power.
One thing is very obvious about this whole thing, Nigeria wants the deal finalized because the delay is hurting the real revenue(oil production).
second, Bigger players are in the picture now. Letting block 1(CVX and XOM) drill first was, IMO, no accident. Big boy want to take a first peek to see if there are oil underneath them fields. Since the result are reported weekly... When Nigeria and STP knows what the status is, the allocation games begin.
Third, Why did the U.S. mid-tier companies join into the bidding for round 2 when the majors are not willing to bid for the other blocks and later took off without clear reasons. Were they even planted there to begin with and walk out one by one to "try to" reck the rights of each blocks? Their replacement COINCIDENTALLY are all non-U.S. Companies?
I must say, that as stories are getting harder and harder to guess and bigger player enter the scene. IMO, the conclusion is near and as a long in ERHE, I am glad it has come to end of yet another chapter of the great ERHE saga. let the games continue