RedGreen and Goldhunter:
While I agree that the Ring is not quite the scale of the Oil patch I still think that using that label is quite appropriate.

Alberta oil is very valuable, that oil is badly needed by the States to maintain a similitude of oil independence from off shore. We are a defacto colony of the States. So there is pleny of American money to build it up. And of course some of that money goes into Conservative pockets federally and provincially to support that build up.
And of course most of that oil has been known for a long time and not much more is to be found there.

The Ring of Fire on the other hand is very new by comparison. Compare to Alberta oil between the World Wars.
What we know about the potential resource of the Ring is like looking at an ice berg. Sudbury basin of many decades ago is probably a better comparison.

The potential value of the Ring is probably ten, or a hundred, times larger than the 60 billion dollars that we know of presently.

Politicians are slow to realize it's potential. The only reason, and I meann Only, it is known is because of the chromite it contains. Chromite being the only source in the Americas and it is a stratigic metal. So American politics should be involved and probably will soon. Therefore any crisis that may evolve regarding shortage of supply will bring that American money as fast and determined as it is now for oil.

It is not on the dollar scale that the comparison should be made but on the similarity of development and influence on the region, province and probably whole country.

Just trying to present a better perspective on the subject, imho. Ed.