[marron]

China is already taking oil from Kazakhstan by rail, and looking at building a pipeline. Meanwhile they are negotiating another pipeline from Siberia. Feeding oil to China is going to be a big project for someone.

But the oil is there. And they are investing in Kazakh fields.

As for synfuels, the technology works, the South Africans built two huge facilities to produce oil back in the glory days. The problem is that its expensive. But the higher oil goes in price, the less the difference. Higher oil prices help make alternative technologies feasible. But mostly it just brings new oilfields on line and it all evens out.

[RightWhale]

Higher oil prices help make alternative technologies feasible.

Oil has been cheap so far, even now. That's the problem with alternative energy. It just costs more. When oil costs that much, we'll already be in trouble.