BTW, in the "what if" category, at the +5.7%/year rate of increase in consumption, Saudi Arabia would be consuming 108 mbpd in 2075--an example of meeting one absurd projection with another absurd projection.

But what the exercise does illustrate is how blind the world is--or at least was--to rising consumption in exporting countries.

It's a pretty good bet that just the top five net exporters alone are going to consume an additional 500,000 bpd of liquids in 2007 versus 2006.