U.S. to become fossil fuel self-sufficient?

[VV note: We'll know it when we see it. But it really won't matter anyway if we roast to death from climate change. Right?]

America: The Next Energy Superpower?

Economy | Environment | Topic

January 23, 2013By Anthony Fensom
The Diplomat

This year, the U.S. will likely surpass Russia and Saudi Arabia as the largest liquids fuel producer in the world.

From previously challenging the “tyranny of oil,” newly inaugurated U.S. President Barack Obama enters his second term in office as leader of a potential oil and gas superpower.

According to BP’s Energy Outlook 2030, unconventional sources will make the United States virtually energy self-sufficient by 2030, largely thanks to the shale gas revolution.

“The U.S. will likely surpass Russia and Saudi Arabia in 2013 as the largest liquids producer in the world (crude and biofuels) due to tight oil and biofuels growth…. Russia will likely pass Saudi Arabia for the second slot in 2013 and hold that until 2023. Saudi Arabia regains the top oil producer slot by 2027,” the London-based oil and gas giant said.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecast that the nation could become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as early as 2016, and a net exporter of total natural gas (including via pipelines) by 2020.

(More here.)