Debate grows over whether U.S. should end decades-long ban on oil exports

Growing debate on whether the U.S. should end a restriction on crude oil exports is setting the table for potential policy changes through Congress or the White House, energy analysts said Monday.

The U.S. has maintained a ban on exporting crude since the 1970s — when the Arab oil embargo crippled supplies and sent prices skyward — save for a small amount that flows north to Canada. But that policy is getting another look as the nation is flush with oil resulting from the shale energy boom.