Can you name a single area in the world of comparable size getting more?
Two offshore drilling rigs cost $1.5 billion.
Continue that comparison. There are 59 offshore oil rigs working in the US. If your price is correct, that is 340% more being invested in the Alberta oil sands than all US operating offshore drill rigs in operation. Or more than 2/3's the rest of the world's offshore drill rigs being invested in one area.
http://www.bakerhughes.com/investor/rig/excel/US_Rig_Report_011808.xls
http://www.bakerhughes.com/investor/rig/excel/International_Rig_Count_December_2007.xls
The industry is greatly willing to invest in places that give reliable access to resources. This is a huge amount and it is because of the willingness of Canada government to work with the industry. Canada as well is investing in large infrastructure expansions to support the growing business and residence expansion in the same area due to job growth.
LOL. Those are just for the rigs, not the drillling and infrastructure needed to move the product. The oil industry involves huge capital costs. The Alberta oil sands project investment is over an extended period of time up thru 2015 and much of the money has yet to be committed. The Alaska pipeline alone cost $8 billion to construct and that was 30 years ago so in today's dollars the costs are much higher.
Can you name a single area in the world of comparable size getting more?
There is no doubt that the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia has had much more money invested in it than Alberta's oilsand project. If you want to look at some big numbers, check out what the Saudis are doing.