Right now we currently rely on imported crude oil from the Middle East. There is a constant price struggle between the oil cartells and OPEC. Then OPEC lowers the standard number of imported barrels of crude to the U.S. This isn't a factor of use as much of a factor of how much can be refined to use as our fuel source. Fuel companies here continue to shut down refineries due to more and more federal regulations that they claim will cost too much to update the refinery to meet the new regs. Instead of updating them they opt to close them instead. That would be fine, but they can't open a new refinery due to other regulations banning them from starting a new refinery. Too many people with their hands in the pot screwing everything up.

This explains the price increase that continues to plague us. It's not really a problem of running out as much as a problem of being able to supply the refined product that the nation demands. That is where the demand peak problem is occuring.