Ron, a brief extension of your analysis of the Maneks agreement: 1) Maneks is very well-connected in Turkey, and supported by the current policy-makers in the energy area. However, the government majority in parliament is extremely fragile, and bureaucrats concerned for their jobs do not want to get out in front, policy-wise, in even minor matters, if a change in policy might be forthcoming very soon. Hence possible delays in paperwork. But I'm reasonably certain that this agreement would not have been signed if Maneks weren't reasonably certain that everything they need is in place. 2) Maneks' intention is to start in the vicinity of Instanbul, a city of 12 million with air pollution problems, where they are reasonably confident that a waste oil collection system can be put in place in short order. Although nothing was said in Charleston, I would expect that the Istanbul units (probably 2-3) will be as large as GRNO can deliver. Collection in other parts of the country will be more of a problem, with trade-offs between larger processors and larger collection territories and smaller processors and smaller collection territories (more compact=less expensive to collect); decisions in this regard will be made later. 3) Bill explained--and asked me not to reveal the details of, since doing so would compromise its effectiveness--his extensive networking that enables him to check on foreign purchasers before agreements are reached. He freely admits that he was deceived by the individual who negotiated the 1995 Bulgarian purchase of two processors (though GRNO got most of their money for the sale, the individual apparently kept the rest of the money he raised rather than spending it on site preparation, hiring of employees, etc.). That individual is now doing time in a German prison for fraud and fighting all attempts to extradite him to Bulgaria, where his various schemes might have netted him an illegal $50 million or more, and where various of the defrauded people have their own ideas of justice in such cases, and where the prison system is not as safe (for the prisoners!) as the one in Germany. Bill developed his present checking system as a consequence of this transaction; you can be confident that the Turkish buyers are legitimate, both financially and legally.
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