Canada is in the middle of a quiet oil boom

And the Alberta oil sands industry has helped propel Canada into an enviable position as the single largest supplier of oil to the United States — a fact that few Americans are probably aware of.

“Maybe not the average American on the street,” said George. “I think 'the Street' though — Wall Street and the investors — have a pretty good idea."

Do they ever. Canadian oil giants are now most welcome on Wall Street; Suncor executives were even invited to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Suncor alone produces 280,000 barrel of oil a day at this mine — operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. At $28 million a day, it’s not hard to see why they don't take Christmas off.

But getting people to work in this frigid, remote part of Canada isn't easy, which is why companies pay upwards of six figures to those who drive these monster rigs. That kind of money attracts people from all walks of life.

Carrie Simms was a special education teacher in Newfoundland when she heard about this opportunity in Alberta.

“Alberta was the place to be, so hopped on a plane and here I came,” she said. “This is where all the action was happening.

In fact, the town outside the oil mines, Ft. McMurray, is a classic boom town — complete with a casino by the same name. Some of the world’s best-known oil companies have recently set up shop or expanded operations here to take advantage of the new oil-sands rush. And for an industry accustomed to dealing with coups and civil wars amid their pipelines, working in one of the world's most stable and peaceful countries is a striking change.

Shell's senior vice president Brian Straub recently took over Canadian operations, after tours in the Middle East and Asia.

“We deal with our own challenges in Canada,” he said. “(Like) the weather … But we do have a lot of advantages in Canada, there's no doubt.  And I think political stability is the key advantage that we have.” 

Colorado's governor, Bill Ritter, who sits on a federal task force that's trying to develop domestic sources of oil, visited the tar sands in November and came away inspired.

“Energy security is also about national security,” he said. “It was helpful to me to see the oil sands — to understand that we have these rich deposits of oil … It increases the stability for us as a country.”

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