The “ golden age of gas ” that the International Energy Agency foresees as a result of the U.S. energy boom is hardly the future being embraced by industry executives. At least based on comments from company officials presenting at the Independent Petroleum Association of America’s conference in New York yesterday. For them, oil is still the prize. Gas is almost an afterthought. Abraxas Petroleum (AXAS) Corp. Chief Executive Officer Bob Watson boasted about how much of his company’s proved reserves are oil and liquids rather than gas (74 percent). PDC Energy (PDCE) Inc. said it’s sitting on huge leases in gas fields that aren’t worth drilling. Whiting Petroleum Corp. (WLL) Chairman and CEO James Volker explained why: oil sells for three times as much as the equivalent amount of natural gas. That’s no knock against the producers for chasing oil – the commodity that makes the best return […]