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

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.

There's no question that tar sands in Canada are probably the largest source of oil available to the U.S. over a long period of time. There's as much oil in the tar sands probably as there is in Saudi Arabia. The problem is, there's a huge capital requirement to develop that.

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