A growing number of Chinese and Indian oil companies have acquired stakes in Northern Colorado's oil fields, a move sure to shift some profits outside Colorado and, for that matter, the nation.

Foreign interests have long snapped up stake in fields across the country, plowing billions of dollars in domestic producers. But the trend is still relatively new in these parts, fueled by the advent of horizontal drilling and fracturing.

Not everyone welcomes it. Beyond sending profits overseas, there are concerns about foreign interests accessing U.S. technology. Worries also exist about the extraction of American resources by foreign oil companies adding to the nation's trade deficit.

"You could make an argument that you'd rather have domestic companies owning those assets," said CSU professor of finance John Elder.

In part, that's because of concerns that exporting more natural gas could mean higher prices for U.S. homeowners.

"I am worried that exporting America's natural gas would raise energy costs for American consumers, reduce the global competitiveness of U.S. businesses, make us more dependent on foreign sources of energy," Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey, a Democrat, wrote in a