RE:Now C'Mon Yasch1) debt reduction: Their debt interest rate is only 4% or something like that. If their IRRs are higher on increasing production, it would be more profitable for them to ramp up drilling and production by increasing debt rather than paying it down.
2) share buyback: It's similar to a dividend; money returned to share holders. You could do your own share buyback and achieve the same result by buying back shares with the dividend you receive...
3) They are doing a balanced approach of cap ex & dividends, seems reasonable to me