That 'international market' price is sort of a misnomer when it comes to prices we pay in America.
Just because the Arabs or Nigeria (or whatever) is selling crude for $144 a barrel doesn't mean that US companies (Exxon or Marathon or Valero, etc) is paying $144 a barrel for oil they get in the Gulf of Mexico, or Oklahoma, or Texas, or Alaska.
In fact, if we as a country import 50% of our oil from overseas, then only 50% is purchased at a high price... and the rest was produced at ... at the cost of getting it out of the ground, refining, etc.
The gasoline now in tanks at the local gas station was most likely taken out of the ground about six or eight months ago...
shipped, pipe-lined, refined, stored....
Bottom line: a totally American company who gets all their crude oil in America should be at a tremendous advantage because they are not forced to pay cut-throat prices from the Saudi's, Venezuela, Nigeria, etc.
The last reliable number I remember for producing oil at the wellhead is 2005:
Saudi Arabia, $5 a barrel
The North Slope, $3 a barrel.
That ought to put things into proper perspective.
Assuming that we don't allow the "fungible BS" in the meantime. Even at $60 a barrel, the "unconscionable profit", for both the Big Bad Oil Companies and governments is breathtaking and obvious.
Needless to say, not one drop of this oil would be allowed to be exported, or "traded" for oil from any OPEC nation to save transportation costs. If the world's oil consumers are happy with OPEC, let them continue to be happy with OPEC.