The current world glut of oil has, for the time being, alleviated the crisis situation of the early 1970's. However, in today's dynamic and rapidly changing world the picture could change at any time so that today's surplus could become tomorrow's shortage. One of the important factors in any future energy reckoning is the potential impact of the large domestic deposits of oil shale and tar sands. These North American resources will play a significant role in the energy patterns of the future. This paper considers scenarios involving these resources.