Updates
Later, 7:37 pm: oil is not particularly useful if it is not refined into useable products, such as diesel or gasoline. There won't be any new refineries built in the US, except for boutique refineries such as the three being promoted in North Dakota. Sea-going tankers can transport refined products just as easily as oil; and Canadian refineries can push gasoline and diesel back to the US. This is not rocket science. For all the talk about a global economy, ....
Original Post
From Wall Street Cheat Sheet:Exxon Mobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell, and BP are among the six companies that have applied to the United States government for crude oil export licenses, says The Financial Times.
American exports could substantially affect oil trading patterns among North America, Europe and West Africa along with exerting pressure on prices of Brent in particular and other crudes.BP already has a license, I believe, to export US oil to Canada (recently announced, posted, if I recall correctly).
