The new law meant an influx of fresh money buying oil futures as a financial investment rather than as a means of locking in future prices (which is what actual users of oil had been doing).

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Although users of oil may benefit and oil prices may fall, pipelines will still continue to do exceedingly well.

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In the 1970s industrial users could switch to oil or electricity, and utilities had other choices, including coal, hydroelectric and even nuclear power.

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Oil companies happen to be the biggest users.

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And breaking that down a little further, cars and light trucks are the largest users of petroleum, given the reliance on foreign supply of oil.

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