There is no secret that world oil prices continue to disturb both main oil producers and consumers now. Certainly common efforts of OPEC countries have led to current stabilization of oil prices at the level of $40 a barrel. But most of world oil producers consider that this level is not enough for proper development of their oil industry. That is why they strive for radical changing the pricing policy in world markets. For example, at the next OPEC meeting it has been proposed to make only long-term contracts on oil supplies as it exists in practice of gas supply now.
If this motion is carried by a large majority of oil producers all over the world, the balance between oil supply and demand will be reached at last. But for us, oil consumers it means only one thing: era of cheap oil will come to the end. And surely, soon world prices will be shown their upward tendency again, achieving again the level of $80-100 a barrel! So clever guys prefer to buy oil now while it remains cheap.

It's inevitable that oil prices will keep on rising long term whatever arrangements are made within OPEC or by the other supplier countries. Like all finite commodities where there's an increasing difficulty in meeting the needs of the world from existing supplies, and the costs of exploration for new and alternative oil sources keep on escalating, the end user, you and I, will either have to pay or stop using the stuff.

Except it's not quite that easy. There are so many different commodities in daily use which are derived from oil which currently can't easily or cheaply be synthesised from other raw materials, that stopping our dependence on oil for probably many decades to come will be virtually impossible.