AdvertisementForeign Oil Imports Drop As U.S. Drilling Ramps UpJanuary 24, 2012Elizabeth ShogrenfacebookEmailNatural gas is burned off next to an oil well being drilled at a site near Tioga, N.D., in August. U.S. oil production started increasing a few years ago and is predicted to continue to rise, reducing the country's dependence on oil imports. (AFP/Getty Images)