by: Giovanni Poshe
The demand for world oil is increasing while world reserves are decreasing. This is a known fact. The current price of oil can certainly confirm this statement. Consensus also agrees that we will never see $25.00 oil again. The logical conclusion to our above statement is oil stocks should be a good long term investment. However, the location of the oil companies’ reserves can affect their bottom line and valuation.
Some of the largest reserves in the world are found in Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Canada. Political unrest in Venezuela, unstable and unpredictable government in Russia and Osama Bin Laden targeting Saudi Arabia leave Canada, namely the Alberta Oil Sands, as the largest, most reliable oil reserves in the world.
Companies like Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell Group and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. are planning to spend billions during the next 10 years to develop Alberta's unusual oil deposits as demand for crude rises and output from existing reserves decline. Oil sands output in Alberta may double to 2 million barrels a day by 2013, according to a presentation by Enbridge Inc. earlier this month. Oil sands are deposits of bitumen - heavy oil that must be treated to convert it into crude oil for use in refineries to produce gasoline and diesel fuels. The U.S. Energy Department revised its global oil resource estimates to include the oil sands 174 billion barrels of proven reserves that can be recovered using current technology.
With demand for oil and other commodities from China and India increasing due to their growing economies, strong trading relationships are procuring with Canada - a country with numerous resources, political stability and neutral military views.
Companies with reserves in the Alberta oil sands look like a great investment for the next decade.
There are many companies with reserves in the Oil Sands here are some with strong exposure.
Suncor Energy Inc. SU.tse , Western Oil Sands Inc. WTO.tse and the Canadian Oil Sands Trust COS/UN.tse