Apparently this issue is much more complex than I originally gave it credit. Thanks to everyone who responded!
As I began to research the subject a little more, I discovered a couple web/newspaper sources claiming that the so-called “Enron Loophole” was effectively closed late in 2007.
What got me really thinking about the issue were several recent televised stories on oil speculation. The last of these recent segments layed out an elaborate time-line of how a certain Texas senator & a member of the CFTC conspired w/ Enron executives to create this loophole. I do not recall any of these stories explaining that the Enron Loophole had been closed. Funny…