Is that what we see as a potential here, or are we talking about a thin slick of oil that might come onto the shore?

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing on Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

Plank's son Roger, 42, who serves as chief financial officer, keeps a reminder of those days on his desk: a small vial of foul-looking water with a thin layer of crude oil on the top.

FORBES: Dry powder

See, your eyelids actually spread a film of oil over your eyeball which protects a thin layer of tears that allow you to keep your eye open without it drying out.

ENGADGET: Alt-week 7.28.12: social mathematics, Pluto's moons and humans-on-a-chip

To compensate for this, egg producers in the US commonly used to spray eggs with a thin layer of odorless, colorless mineral oil.

FORBES: Natural Protection

The result is a thin reflective layer that floats on the surface of the oil.

ECONOMIST: Mirror, mirror

If Saudi Arabia has to increase its production to cover Iran's oil, it would leave a razor-thin margin to cover for any other disruptions.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The government is walking a thin line trying to address environmental concerns with suitable regulation while also looking to boost employment and falling production among oil and gas majors like Exxon and BP by allowing new exploration projects.

FORBES: Exxon Readies For Arctic Gushers With Rosneft Deal