When world oil producers and consumers convened in Jeddah for an emergency summit in June 2008, Samuel Bodman, then US energy secretary, had a simple message for Saudi Arabia: pump more oil now.
As Steven Chu, his successor, flies to the kingdom this week, the agenda instead has a heavy focus on research and technology.
The different messages underscore the fact that crude prices have fallen from $130 a barrel in June 2008 to $80 a barrel. They also reflect a further tilt in the balance of demand growth from west to east.
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