The Canadian Energy Research Institute looked into its crystal ball yesterday and predicted, under a realistic scenario, $309-billion will be invested in oil sands over the next 35 years. Should a protracted economic slowdown plague the globe, that will drop to $246-billion, but under a more robust "energy security scenario," investment will jump to $378-billion. Steam-assisted gravity drainage operations will get the highest rate of return. Production will peak in 2041, at 5.3 million barrels of bitumen a day under CERI's realistic scenario, which assumes the recession will end in the first quarter of 2010, demand will grow and the Brazilian, Russian and Indian economies will keep growing. Production will touch 1.7 million barrels of bitumen a day by 2015, 2.5 million barrels a day by 2020 and 4.5 million barrels a day by 2030.