When I started reading your post DS I figured perhaps the Earth is consuming oil faster than it produces it? You know, abiotic oil in reverse.

Seriously, that's worthy of a keypost in of itself. That decline in the Barnett Shale is staggering, if this is going on perhaps top down machinations are in play somehow. Caruso is stepping down next month, wonder if he has a skeleton in the closet or whistle to blow here?

This is a piece from Matt Simmons calling into question EIA data: Matthew Simmons on Inventories « Crude Oil, which is excerpted from his PDF Anothern Nail in the Coffin of the Case Against Peak Oil. In case you haven't read these.

There has never been a government audit to see how many stock data reporters actually take a physical measurement. There is no penalty (or reward) for efficiently completing what one could argue is the world’s most important glimpse into our country’s fuel supply.

Regarding the IEA, Birol has stated in interviews that government intervention will in all likelihood be necessary to cope with supply falling short of demand. SailDog will perhaps expand on that.