IEA: U.S. to become world's top oil producer by 2017.

The U.S. will surpass Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world's largest oil producer by 2017 and become "all but (energy) self-sufficient" by 2030, the IEA predicts in its annual World Energy Outlook. The forecast highlights how the U.S. shale revolution is changing the energy sector, although analysts warn that the nature of shale production means that the growth the IEA predicts isn't guaranteed.