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It is illegal to export oil, except to Mexico and Canada.

It is more complicated than that:

Crude oil exports are restricted to:

(1) crude oil derived from fields under the State waters of Alaska's Cook Inlet;

(2) Alaskan North Slope crude oil;

(3) certain domestically produced crude oil destined for Canada;

(4) shipments to U.S. territories; and

(5) California crude oil to Pacific Rim countries.

See notes at the bottom of the page at:
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_exp_dc_NUS-Z00_mbbl_m.htm

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And if the Alberta pipeline(Trans-Canada) to the gulf coast gets built, the export of refined product would increase.

Those refineries are not going to produce more oil due to the Keystone XL pipeline. They will however refine more oil from Canada & North Dakota while replacing oil imported from overseas.

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Also, because of the natural gas shortages back in 2000-2001, several companies were permitted to import natural gas in 2002.

We have been importing Natural Gas for decades and still do today.

U.S. Natural Gas Imports
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n9100us2m.htm

"It is more complicated than that"

Of course it is, but the general thrust is correct.

"We have been importing Natural Gas for decades"

Because some parts of the country had an aversion to buying NG from TX, LA, & OK. They were willing to use fuel oil for home heating and other applications. And beneath the surface, some of the resistance to producing NG in parts of the Marcellus is being driven by that industry.

I admire your attention to detail and early on working in the lab and operations, I did too. But I moved into sales where you don't sweat the details, you just push that off on the engineering dept.