I have to disagree Imperial. If there is a 30's style depression/recession, it wont matter what you hold EVERYTHING on the stock/futures market loses value. Oil and gas would go down and people would simply not be able to afford to use it.
The only way to profit from that sort of situation is to be holding phsyical goods. IE - coffe, booze, smokes etc and selling them directly onto the black market.
Holding pieces of paper mean nothing in a depression...
