I've also been using the Red Queen analogy lately in so far as it accurately describes not only the natural gas situation in North America but also global oil production.

At the top of the hill, the Red Queen begins to run, faster and faster. Alice runs after the Red Queen, but is further perplexed to find that neither one seems to be moving. When they stop running, they are in exactly the same place. Alice remarks on this, to which the Red Queen responds: "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place". And so it may be with coevolution. Evolutionary change may be required to stay in the same place. Cessation of change may result in extinction.