"What I did find is that VALE just buys the company outright".
I have looked and looked and looked. No JV's
So just like DF, Not a JV, Just a buy out.
I have been selling real estate for 26 years and option agreements mostly are for tying up property during a feasibility and or buying up multiple parcels for a huge development. You do not close on one and then buy try to buy the next one. You quietly option up what you need and then close the transactions all at the same time.
Same principle apply here.
Besides all the Geo's were hired to do a N1-43-101 on Cabot anyway. That must be done now and this is why ken is Quiet waiting for the right time to make an announcement.