Here in California we've been paying upwards of $4.00 a gallon for gasoline. It's ridiculous how much they've increased in a matter of weeks and I'm pretty sure the recent increases in the price of oil on the WORLD market has had something to do with it among other factors.


Okay so here's what I don't understand and help me if I'm wrong or missing key points. Many proponents of increased drilling say that we need to do this in order to provide this country with much needed oil. But here's the thing. We have not nationalized our oil resources nor do we have a state-owned oil company that we can just ask for more oil. That would be Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mexico, Venezuela. We have privately owned international companies such as Exxon and BP drilling the oil on our shores. This oil ends up being sold on the world market which consists of not only the U.S. but China, Europe, Brazil, India. Private oil companies are under no obligation to sell the oil they drill here at home exclusively to us. They'll sell to the highest bidder whether that be American refineries or Chinese refineries.


Am I right in assuming that many of the proponents feel that if we allow more drilling here at home, that the oil will be ours to keep, thus in essence nationalizing our oil, and that it will not go elsewhere like China?