Big Oil is a club, and they'll do everything to keep me out.

If you don't have a refinery operating, it's hard to use oil that's available.

[Just about the only thing about which both sides agree is that the recent run-up in oil prices, which began well before Hurricane Katrina, has been caused because demand for oil - spurred by growth in China, the generally healthy economic condition of the Western world, and other factors - has caught up with supply.] The world produces about 85 million barrels a day, ... That's where demand is now, too. And I've seen forecasts that demand is going to be higher than that by the end of the year.

There is no free market for oil.

If you don't have a refinery operating, it's hard to use oil that's available.

I do believe that oil production globally has peaked at 85 million barrels. And I've been very vocal about it. And what happens? The demand continues to rise. The only way you can possibly kill demand is with price. So the price of oil, gasoline, has to go up to kill the demand. Otherwise, keep the price down, the demand rises.