RE:End Gamefacts you listed are undisputable. the questions you are asking are in fact relevant. my take is that the next 2 years will be relatively quiet barring any “force majeure” event. Platreef and Kipushi are in the “final stretches”, no course changing action is needed, nor will it happen. These assets are set, so to speak.
KK has a plan, and the necessary cash to develop the next phase with the smelter. Here again, there will not be a new partner. Highly unlikely at best.
The only wild card in my opinion is WF. I am 100% sure there will be new partners and the property will be developed with a probably more than one new partner. This will be an IVN decision, so as you pointed out, I am sure the Chinese will weigh in heavily. On the same token, RF hasn’t made bad decisions so I am inclined to say that they will give more rope to RF than one would assume considering their shares.
In saying that, RF confirmed that IVN is currently doing all the exploration by itself. this makes complete sense. The assets haven’t been evaluated the best it can be, so he will likely conclude the exploration and once an are (or all of them) are confirmed, then he will partner standing on a higher and more solid ground. Bringing in anybody now may only expedite the exploration if at all. Probably not even. I think RF will plug away until the time is right which is where I refer to the next 2 years as relatively quiet.
Takeover? Who knows? I would speculate that RF would not want to part with this adventure. He is in his 70’s and likely at the top of his game. IVN and its projects can easily dwarf his previous successes. This undertaking is a supersized one even for those who are in their 40’s. My bet: he will try to hold on to this as long as he can as at this point in his life, I am certain he is trying to leave a mark and legacy behind about how to do mining properly in this new “green age” as opposed to cash out. He already has more money than he can shake a stick at, I am sure that is not what motivates him.
Just my 2-cents...