So Consol has experience drilling into coal seams to vent and flare gas.

FORBES: With Gas Deal, Consol Strives To Turn Coal Green

To think, just a boatride from Florida, in the backyard of all those U.S. oil giants that have decades of experience drilling the Gulf of Mexico.

FORBES: Watch Out America, China Is Coming For Your Oil And Gas!

One place where Western oil companies have found open doors is in deep-water exploration, because state-backed oil companies in Russia, China and the Middle East have little experience drilling these tricky wells.

WSJ: Exxon Struggles to Find Oil

There was a lot of verbiage tossed around about the dangers of deep-water drilling, that no one had any experience with this kind of thing, yada, yada, yada.

FORBES: Lead Like It's D-Day