Prices to just over Year to date sales in Red Deer haven’t kept pace with last year.  The year started out slow but rising oil US$50 per barrel for West Texas Crude in the spring gave consumer confidence and we experienced a busy three months in April, May and June.  When the price of oil recently dropped below US$50 on its way to the current level around $42, consumer confidence went with it.  The slower market has also caused inventories to go up slightly, although not as high as might be expected.

The good news for central alberta is, the light at the end of the tunnel is still on.  An August 3^rd article in the Financial Post quotes Martin King, vice-president of institutional research at First Energy Capital Corp in Calgary. The gist of the article is that large reductions in capital expenditures in the world energy industry will have a direct impact on the long term supply of oil going forward.  Since the price of oil is driven by the relationship between supply and demand, lower capital investment means lower production that will lessen supply and bring prices back to a more equitable level.

Their prediction is US$60 average in 2017 and US76.50 through 2019. US$60 currently translates to about $78 Canadian which is likely enough to keep our energy industry working. Alberta will survive this latest downturn just like all the others before it.