JonSCKs,

How much of that cost is labor, and how much is fixed cost inputs( which essentially are the cost of the labor to design, manufacture, produce, administer etc.)?   If it is like around here, the biggest costs are the labor, which is crazy high.  Which it shouldn't be, with massive unemployment in so many urban areas in this continent, and government disinsentives to stay there and be unemployed, instead of moving to Fort Macmurray, or small town North Dakota, Saskatchewan, Alberta etc. where the jobs are.  How much cheaper could these expensive wells and infrastructure be, if there was labor available and affordable?  Have you heard what the coffee shops in Fort MacMurray pay, let alone someone capable of doing barely skilled labor, and passing a pee in a cup test occasionally( most need some study time for that one)?

Just because it costs a lot the first few times, technology gets better, labor slowly moves to where demand is, less mistakes, infrastructure gets built, regulatory hurldes get crossed and costs go down.  At least in theory..........