High Oil Prices Might Be A Blessing In Disguise The absolute price of oil has reached a new high. The growth     of the economies in China, India and the rest of Asia are increasing the demand     for oil. There are production problems in Venezuela (strikes and sabotage), Norway (strikes), Nigeria (civil war), Iraq (sabotage) and Russia (internal politics). Hurricane Ivan and other hurricanes this year disrupted     production in the Gulf of Mexico and transportation of oil in the Atlantic.     In the next decade Eastern Europe will also require more oil to feed its growing economies. The price of crude oil has led to     prices of above \$55 a barrel and lifted heating oil to a record and     natural gas to a 20-month high. Though prices may eventually fall a bit, they are likely to remain higher than we were once     accustomed.    However, all is not gloom and doom.