Oilpatch braces for downturn - Business Edge News Magazine
'Reductions in demand for gasoline and in crude prices are starting to gain the upper hand, and prices at the pump have dropped in recent weeks,' Desjardins Securities in a commodity commentary.
'This trend should continue if oil stays below US$100 per barrel.'
While consumers have some reason to hope for relief, weaker crude prices and strapped credit markets will pummel the oilpatch, said Derek Burleton, an economist with TD Bank.
A crude price around US$80 is break-even territory for many high-cost projects that require huge amounts of steel, construction equipment, labour and natural gas.