While I am not an expert in the oil industry, I found the above comments quite fascinating; they're spurring me to do a bit of my own research, in fact. I don't know who is right, but I just have to ask: "You obviously have absolutely no clue about what you are talking about." Would you say that to someone in person, too? The Internet is a good place to keep as much civility as possible, since there's so little of it to go around.

So I'm a little confused. You cite that the EIA reports 5.22 million BOE per day, an increase from 1991. I'm looking at this page:

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrfpus2a.htm

I might be reading it wrong, but it seems to indicate that in 1991 7.4 million BOE were produced and in 2008 4,9 million BOE.

Is there perhaps a different source on that site that you can refer us to? Or are you factually incorrect?

Also: http://www.petroleumworld.com/story09090312.htm

Excerpt:

<snip> U.S. oil output is benefiting from the addition of major deep-water fields, including BP's Thunder Horse, that are helping offset production declines onshore and in shallower Gulf waters. In many cases, these deep-water fields were discovered years ago but are only now coming on line, given the massive costs and technical challenges associated with them.

The combination of favorable factors should lift U.S. crude oil production to an average of 5.22 million barrels per day in 2009, up from 4.95 million barrels per day last year and the first annual increase since 1991, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. </snip>

Also, "U.S. crude output on the rise": http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6598330....

Try this graph:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/gifs/Fig12.gif

See here: http://www.eia.doe.gov/steo