Lindsey Thurber

Pipeline
Project

Using calculus to help the Interior

Secretary have the best way of
getting oil from the rig to a refinery.

Calculus

Dear Mr. CEO,

As your mathematician, I have come up with a few options for you to be able to get the oil from
the rig to the refinery. In each option you will be given the total cost and length of the piping, along with a
brief picture showing giving you a better understanding on what each option entails.
Sincerely
Lindsey Thurber

The first option I have come up with is if we only use BLM Ground. This would have us head 5
miles to the West then 15 miles South then 45 miles East to the refinery. It is not the most direct path but
it does allow us to have no additional charges.

BLM Ground

5 mile
40 miles

15 miles

BLM15Ground
miles
Private Ground

45 miles - BLM Ground

( 5+15+ 45 )=65 ( 500,000 )=$ 32,500,000
For us to only go on BLM ground and not go through the mountain it would cost $32,500,000.00
and we would need 65 miles of piping

Our next option would be to go through the mountain 40 miles then head South for 15 miles.
There are about $3,920,000 additional charges for doing the environmental survey plus the charge
for having us to wait another 6 months before we can start because that is how long the survey will
take.

BLM Ground

5 mile
40 miles

15 miles

BLM15Ground
miles
Private Ground
45 miles - BLM Ground

455=40 miles throughthe mountain 40 miles+ 15 miles=55 miles

55 miles($ 500,000)+6 ($ 180,000)+ $ 3,920,000=$ 32,500,000

For us to go through the mountain it would cost $32,500,000.00. We would need a total of 55
miles of piping but it would but us behind by 6 months.

For this option we have chosen to cut straight across the private land to the refinery giving us the shortest
distance with only 42.7 miles of piping.

BLM Ground

5 mile
BLM Ground

15
miles
42.7
miles

Private Ground
40 miles

Shortest distance across the Private ground:

2

15 +40 =1,825

1,825=42.7 miles
42.7 miles ( 500,000+350,000 )=$ 36,312,00
For us to head straight from the oil rig to the refinery going across the private land which would have the
shorts pipeline would cost $36,312,000.00

This option will allow us to head straight south for 15 miles across the private land then head East for 40
miles to the refinery, with a total distance of 55 miles of piping.

BLM Ground

5 mile
BLM Ground

15
miles

Private Ground

40
miles

Going South then East:

( 15 350,000 ) + ( 15+ 45 )( 500,000 ) =$ 32,750,000

Will going straight south from the oil rig then heading east to the refinery would cost $32,750,000.00. and
55 miles of piping.

Now I have come up with a solution that will help us find the least amount we will have to spend. The
following is an equation I have figured out to help us find how many miles it will take to get y and 40-x to
be the least expensive

BLM Ground

5 mile
Y

BLM Ground
15 miles

Private Ground

40-x

152+ X 2=Y

2.5 1011 ( 225+ X 2 )=(7.225 x 1011 X 2 )

225+ X 2 ( 850,000 )=Cost of Y

C ( X ) = 225+ X 2 ( 850,000 ) + ( 40X ) 500,000

13

11

11

5.625 10 + 2.5 10 X =7.225 x 10 X

5.625 1013=7.225 1011 X 22.5 1011 X 2

C' ( X )=

850,000 X

0=

850,000 X
500,000
225+ X 2

225+ X

500,000=

500,000

850,0000 X
225+ X 2

500,0002=

(
(

2.50 1011 =

225+ X 2

5.625 10 13
= X2
11
4.725 10

850,0000 X 2
2

5.625 1013=4.725 1011 X 2

119.05=X

7.225 x 1011 x 2
225+ X 2

119. x 05=X

10.9= X

Now that we have found what our x is we can solve what y and 40-x is and find the price for the shortest
distance.

152 +10.92= y 2

18.54= y

225+118.81= y 2

4010.9=29.1

343.81= y

850,000 ( 18.54 ) +500,000 ( 29.1 )=$ 30,309,000

For the company to spend the least amount of money to get the oil from the rig to the refinery we would
need to take a pipe and run it west 29.1 miles from the refinery then cut across the private land for 18.54
miles to the oil rig. So the total amount of pipe we will need is 47.64 miles long.
y

(10.9, 30,309,000)

Here is a graph to help see all the cost together and which option will be the most beneficial to us.

cost
$37,000,000
$36,000,000
$36,312,000
$35,000,000
$34,000,000
$33,000,000
$32,750,000
$32,000,000 $32,500,000 $32,500,000
$31,000,000
$30,000,000
$30,309,000
$29,000,000
$28,000,000
$27,000,000
option 1
option 2
optoin3
optoin4
opton5

cost

Options

Reflection:
During this semester I have learned different ways that I will be using calculus in my career. I am
going to be a Biologist that is going to have to have knowledge of how to calculate the growth of a
population of animals or bacteria. It will also help me when I am going to have to build animal cages up at
the zoo and having a total amount of fencing how to calculate the most optimized size for the animals. I
will \be able to use what I have learned in calculus in my everyday life for example if I have the cost of
some fencing and instead of having them come and give me and estimate I can just do it myself.