Oil is going knowhere for a long time and won't really be a factor in what happens to vinyl, it has never impacted on the price and I don't see a reason why it should start now.
Bang on.

The way i see it is that people get confused between the argument about making money form vinyl sales and vinyl as a format.

Making money on vinyl... good solid money, thats in some doubt - i dont have the personal experience of selling vinyl (YET) to comment on this, but from what pepople have said they find it difficult mainly because of the logistics.

Keeping the format alive. Why not... its a funny old game, minidisc is dying a death.. 8 track did too... CD seems to be under attack.. tape is going.. as the oldest method of reproducing sound, vinyl (Or waveforms captured in the physical analog method) has been around since victorian times (wax cyclinders.. essentially the same method..) It may well be around for ever...

now if only they could make those japanese laser vinyl players cheaper...