Don't hold ELK but you're wrong there buddy. Although the U.S.A...

Don't hold ELK but you're wrong there buddy. Although the U.S.A is the largest consumer of crude oil, China is poised to surpass them in the very near future. China's rapid industrialization will maintain the current prices and will push them even higher. Higher oil prices are sustainable because it is a commodity for which there is no replacement for the forseeable future. Oil at $200 a barrel? You bet it's possible - because petroleum products are an absolute neccessity for economies all across the globe and until a more economic energy source is discovered (possibly uranium - but a myriad hurdles to overcome) then it will maintain this price as simple demand far outstrips supply.

And the Arab countries have forever exploited their oil reserves to the detriment of the greater population - they've been starving for twenty years. They are not about to stop and do something about it now.

SS.