People who know what they're talking about can get away with using less precise language. They would never conflate "the potential of methane hydrate if it were used on a larger scale" with oil. But this author did. Therefore the fact that he used this loose definition is not irrelevant - it points to the central problem. This article is not sophisticated or well-researched, it's simply long. The fact that it was this high on Hacker News is sad.