[Wonder Warthog]

"I wonder what OPEC will do? "Go Nova" (raise prices in a last attempt to raid the cookie jar before imploding utterly) or try to do "the long fade" by cutting prices to keep research funds away from LENR alternatives.

I suspect neither. My bet is that they will try to "move upstream" to higher value added products (plastics and other petrochemicals). Unfortunately, Muslims have not proven very successful at higher level science/technology, and the strict Islamic culture doesn't lend itself well to attracting "wild geese" sorts of non-Muslim sci/tech types.

[Steely Tom]

My bet is that they will try to "move upstream" to higher value added products (plastics and other petrochemicals).

Yeah that's a good bet, but moving up the process stream in petro involves some very big investments in gigantic exposed assets that will become a magnet for every fringe group that can set up a mortar in an alleyway within five miles of it.

With UAVs, GPS, and Google Earth, those facilities will attract every crazy from the entire Muslim world. One single mortar shell and the whole thing turns into a giant flaming tribute to the power of Allah.