It is very clear they are in negotiations involvin

It is very clear they are in negotiations involving their shares in Avant and that it is almost certainly a Chinese entity. This is not the JV partner they were talking to last summer but someone else. They are close to completing a deal in my opinion- news could come any day at this point. BMI International LTD is the investment banker doing the deal and are based in Hong Kong. MANF is on the back burner and years away from development, but ESS is ready to go now, so the new enitity may also be looking to do a deal with ESS - no one knows, but they are definitely at least involved in Avant's assets.

The multiple noteholders need to agree to the deal so that is why it has taken so long. Multiple teams of attorneys representing each party could take weeks just to draw it up once it is verbally done, so I'm sure it is a very tedious process.