Since at least World War I, the West has been fighting wars in the Middle East for oil.
As an afterthought, OPEC is a cartel that exists from the governmental control of the assets in question. The governments of the West (particularly the United States, if you're old enough to remember the 70s) have been complicate. It appears the game is almost up.
A free market that is set free will easily dismantle a cartel. Fracking is said market.
