We have the technology, ships and plants to convert our new oil to useful products as soon as it gets to America!
Natural gas has a role now and will have an expanded one in the future if its future use costs don't exceed that of oil. This has been the problem of all so called alternatives in the past 3 decades, they have needed special funding (high prices on oil at the pump and higher taxes) and then super high prices at the final consumer end. Wrong, that is socialism or facism. Let the market determine the best product at the best price for our energy needs!
A little bit heavy on the wonky improvements in oil extraction in South America. Necessary, good, but not the "big picture"
Tar sands? Expensive and only "500,000" barrels per day in "2007".
The best line in the article, mostly because it's so absent elsewhere, is the comment "A key to Russia's production surge is a change in mentality." I'd add to that a communist mentality of being paid now (taxes, bribes), a lack of not capitalism, but a capitalist mentality (at least as it should be!)
The Sakhalin deal, which is for Japan, and will replace OPEC resources, was pushed thru right after 9/11. For years the local bureaucrats finangled over contracts, taxes, and the like.
Where is Central Asia in this article? The Capsian, the lines now being built through Turkey, etc.? Perhaps avoided because that oil and gas will go to Europe (and still effecting the world's markets, though). But he does talk about "gas" as "future promise". And a "liquid" scheme in Asia. I hate to break the news to this guy, but a big chunk of vehicles in Italy and Pakistan, among others, run straight off Natural Gas. So do buses, etc. in our country. In that regard I think this writer is an oil-biased writer. Electricity plants in California are converting to natural gas in apparently a big rush.
As you've said, the target is to use both oil and gas as much as possible to lower prices in general. And natural gas is a more efficient source than oil for hydrogen for fuel cells.
Interesting article in some specifics, but I think we get a bigger picture at FR. Anyway, it's just one article. You're right about the article on AA. That guy is great. I'll have to reread it about Hillary - did it explain why she cast the lone nay vote?