Well production has to remain the at the level it is world wide as pipelines are backed up and process plants are pumping away just fine.
Demand is high but as Chris says it's speculators and other countries buying it up.
Lift costs per barrel are the same apart from when the targets are hard to reach but the operators would LOVE to increase production.
Brown is an idiot and the only way petrol prices are going to drop is if tax is reduced. It is not going to fall itself! No amount of 'talks' is going to change that.