So the oil companies own assets (oil and oil fields) that have increased considerably in value. Do you expect them to pretend that this hasn't happened, and, out of the goodness of their hearts, sell it to consumers at far below its market value?
I know my problem...I watched too many Westerns as a kid...
In the Westerns, they always had bad guys and good guys...Lots of times the bad guys didn't really ride horses and they never shot anyone...They had the money to pay others to do it...And quite often, they controlled the water sources and supplies...
And if you weren't willing to pay a high enough price, you didn't get any water...And of course, the bad guys always set the market value...
And then there was Ben Cartwright...Where are the Ben Cartwrights of the Country???