Bus Dawg,
I don't know what the freak you are talking about.

Duke,
Yes, at this point, supply does seem to be tight, but I don't think it will remain so forever. If history has taught us anything about the oil and gas industry is that it is usually boom or bust and hardly ever a middle. Numbers are interesting sure and I believe you that you have friends that work in the industry. I, however, work in a technical applications/marketing roll and I am seeing the new technology coming down the pipe to extract heavy oil (oil sands, tar sands, shale) and I'm telling you that supply will once again exceed demand.
On the aviation note. Since I was a child I've wanted to be a pilot and I love airplanes. I don't want to get into that industry to "be rich" if I wanted to be rich I'd stay in the oil field. I've passed up a specific opportunity to make well over 100K/year but I would work all the time doing something I hated. If worse came to worse I would do it. I opted to stay where I'm at to have flexibility with my schedule outside of work...work would have owned me the other way. I'm working on my ratings one at a time now trying to pay for them. I know the realities of aviation and it seems to be less stable than the oil and gas industry. My natural tendency is to look at all negatives first; I have only over the past few years trained myself to be optimistic. I am young, 24 almost 25, but I have worked in the oilfield for 5 years now(2.5 in college). I can't wait to get to aviation but don't worry I do have a Bachelor's Degree and a fall back. I am a realist and a capitalist who understands you have to have a skill to survive in this world and feed your family. Thanks for your advice.

I believe oil is a finite resource but I also believe the market will find a way to continue growing itself even if we've peaked. I don't believe we have peaked because of all the new discoveries of types of oil we make. We are making many heavy oil discoveries and the US does have refineries that can handle heavy oil. We are going to be fine.