With Parliament deadlocked and the NHL playoffs on ice, Canadians can be forgiven for thinking our country is in limbo. But away from those public spats, the economy has witnessed a tectonic shift, the kind not seen in a generation.
Oil – $50 (U.S.) a barrel oil – is again transforming our world.
To see how, the ROB [Report On Business] today begins our most comprehensive look yet at the new energy shock.
We don’t know if oil prices will hit $100 a barrel or stay below $50 for the summer. No one does. But as you’ll read in Barrie McKenna’s excellent Cover Story and see illustrated on a dynamic two-page world map, we’re into the home stretch of the 20th century oil age.
Over the next week, you will read dispatches from around the world and across Canada on how this change is reshaping business and how the energy industry is responding.
In total, we’ve assigned 13 reporters and columnists, four graphic artists and six photographers to explore the transformation. We’re bringing in some smart money managers to see how your investments might be affected – and how you can profit from the change.
And next Saturday, we’ll do something novel for the ROB when we turn over some of the section to our readers.
Whatever your view, it’s hard to imagine how the world economy, Canadian business and the oil and gas industry are not entering a new age. Read on for more.
SERIES SCHEDULE
TODAY
THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE
Oil at the peak, the Canadian landscape, and Saudi Arabia’s supply v. China’s voracious demand
MONDAY
THE DRILLER’S FRONTIER
New technologies are helping engineers search underground so they can extract the last drops of oil
TUESDAY
THE EXPLORER’S FRONTIER
Is Azerbaijan the next Middle East? After 10 years of fanfare, the Caspian Sea oil balloon has burst
WEDNESDAY
THE TRANSPORTATION FRONTIER
The world is awash with pipeline proposals and money to fund them, but refinery projects are rare
THURSDAY
THE CONSUMER’S FRONTIER
Green cars, clean coal, fuel cells and wind power are all expected to help reduce the world’s oil consumption
FRIDAY
THE DREAMER’S FRONTIER
Exploring the world for new fuels, scientists leave few geographic locales – and no locales – untested
SATURDAY
YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR IDEAS, YOUR MONEY
We present readers’ letters on the series – and report how smart money managers are playing their energy hand
FEEDBACK
We welcome your views on the issues raised in the series. Please send your comments to [email protected]
ON THE WEB
You’ll be able to follow the series from beginning to end on our website at www.theglobeandmail.com/business
