Before the smaller players drill, they must factor in such issues as their capital and lease costs, as well as the price of the underlying commodity.

FORBES: Oil and Gas Feeding Off Each Other While They are Fueling Economic Recovery

Commodity futures are capital assets and get taxed as if they were 60% long term and 40% short term, regardless of how long you hold the positions.

FORBES: In The Money

One reason is that MLPs allow some energy companies to structure themselves in a way that attracts conservative, long-term investors rather than speculators that is, as income investments rather than capital-gains plays leveraged on commodity prices.

FORBES: Mastering MLPs: A Guide for Energy Investors

The reasons are many, with the largest ones being the long lag time to production, environmental concerns and political risks, as well as the fact that increased commodity costs means higher capital costs required to explore and develop mines.

FORBES: Gold's Fab Five Miners

The report draws on the experience and insights of an advisory committee that included the Citi Foundation, the Skoll Foundation, Root Capital, Technoserve, and ANDE, as well as interviews with over 65 commodity buyers, investors and value chain experts.

FORBES: Catalyzing Smallholder Agricultural Finance

Brazil, Chile and Mexico have all seen their economic prospects brighten during the past year as commodity prices rose, rich-country economic growth strengthened and private capital flows to emerging markets resumed.

ECONOMIST: Floating with an anchor

Wall Street presumes that commodity notes held for more than a year get the same lenient capital gains treatment as stocks and bonds (a top rate of 15% at the moment).

FORBES: Magazine Article