I may be a little simple when it comes to matters of "the economy" but I was of the impression that a market economy was driven by supply and demand. In the case of oil there hasn't, to the best of my knowledge, been any great changes in either of those parameters - the price is being driven by speculation in the stock market. Does that mean that people are betting that in the near future there will be a major change in either the supply or demand of oil, major enough to warrant a nearly 100% increase in a relatively short period?