RE:Consultant payoff They do throw around options like confetti. I'm assuming that the options are in lieu of payment for work undertaken during Well 4. But, as you note, it could be for bloody anything.
For what it's worth, DME are not alone in this regard. This is from Royal Heliim earlier this week:
"Royal also announces the grant of 2,850,000 incentive stock options with a strike price of $0.60."