October 2026
What an early field decision is actually buying
The first design choice is a bet on geology, water, access, and how the asset will be run.
Teams often treat the first layout as a sketch. It is closer to a purchase. It buys a way of getting people and materials to the site, a way of handling water, and a set of operating habits that are expensive to unwind.
The useful question at that stage is not whether the drawing looks complete. It is which uncertainties the drawing has quietly settled, and which of those can still be reopened.