The Bakken field is a nice discovery, but the amount recoverable is still in dispute. I've
LINKED a report that discusses it, especially on page 2, under conclusions and recommendations. We import a lot, and a number of fields are in decline, so we'll be lucky to offset
part of the overall reduction of supply.
I wouldn't worry much about environmentalists. When gas hits $5 per gallon, they are likely to become quite unpopular.