RE: Mitsui MOU
Simplythefacts:
You asked: "...but why wouldn't Mitsui buy CMK outright, once the mine is up and running."
Mitsui is a great partner in business and from what I have gathered they do not appear to want to be managers of a mine...they just want the coal. Their expertise is technical...not management. That's how they seem to prefer it. I believe that CMK will have more than enough technical assistance from Mitsui...they probably have several people assisting as we speak. I believe that they will give whatever assistance it takes to get this mine into production...ASAP. As I posted last week Mitsui wants the coal...not the sale of CMK. That's why they are on board. Ken must have a very...very good personal relationship with this group. This is extremely comforting from an investment standpoint.
Plus the USA is probably the best location to have a mine as far as knowlegable coal mine brainpower and expertise. I would guess Ken will conbine the current staff with outside expertise for anything that Mitsui cannot provide. So when I said that there is probably many things going on that we cannot know...to bring this mine into production ASAP...it causes me to wonder if by 4th quarter '08 we may be seeing Ken's timetable closer to accurate than some here think.
All of the above make me extremely comfortable...and excited for the near term furture of CMK.
I have no desire to trade this stock. There is zero question in my mind that this is a keeper. Apparently Pinetree agrees. Traders can trade CMK, leave and go trade something else...whatever. I don't care...it's their money. The way I look at it...why give up what appears to be a sure thing to go chasing anything that is less than a sure thing. Again, everyone is entitled to thier own decision...mine is the only one that concerns me.
Badog