Sims said:
Not just a comparison about O&G friendly/unfriendly...that's the only chart you'd ever need to express the benefit of energy independence for the US.
The benefit of not relying on exports that are subject to geopolitical whims is very apparent. But our limited ability to export NatGas to Europe also plays a big role in the spread. If we had infinite capacity to export to Europe, the local cost would rise to be close to the global price (adjusted for costs of delivery).
WTI- Brent spread is a lot more stable because of the capacity to export our excess. WTI would drop significantly relative to Brent if our excess exceeded our export capacity.
Of course, transportation has costs, so being energy independent (producing more than we need) means we are always discounted to those who rely on exports.