Math 1210

Kuralt
Pipeline Project
Summer 2015
Brittany Walker

Dear Mr. CEO,

All requested calculations are shown below. Explanations of where each of the
numbers has come from will be before the calculations themselves are shown. I have
placed a diagram of what each route would look like according to what you have
requested. I do hope everything is to your satisfaction.
C(x) represents a cost function throughout all calculations.
480000 is the cost per mile for the most basic form of drilling on BLM land.
100000 represents the cost for each month delayed.
600000 is the cost for the research needed to drill through the mountain.
840000 is the cost per mile for drilling through private land.
4500000 is the startup cost for BLM.

Option 1: in red
To drill and insert pipelines moving west of the initial location, then south, and finally
east, all of which will be done on BLM land.
Total distance on BLM land: (8+16+40)=64miles
C(x)=(64miles)(480000)+4500000
C(x)=$35220000

Option 2: in green
To drill directly east through the mountains, then south, all of which will be done on BLM
land.
Total distance on BLM land: (40-8)+16= 48 miles
C(x)=600000+800000+480000(48 miles)+4500000
C(x)=$28940000

Private ground options:

Option 1: in red
Cutting straight through private ground to the refinery.
Total distance traveled on private ground:
162+322=distance
1280=distanc e through private land
C(x)=(480000+360000)( 1280 )+4500000
C(x)=$40688307.50

Option 2: in green
Cutting directly south through private land, then moving east to the refinery on BLM
land.
Distance across private land: 16 miles
Distance across BLM land: 32 miles
Total miles traveled: 48 miles
C(x)=(480000+360000)(16miles)+(480000)(32miles)+4500000
C(x)=$33300000

Option 3: in yellow.
Minimize distance traveled by cutting through private land, thus minimizing cost as well.
Distance across private ground= 162+ x2
Distance on BLM grounds= 32-x
This first function will calculate the total cost for the minimum distance traveled.
C(x)= 840' 000 162 + x 2480' 000 x +19' 860' 000
This second function calculates the minimum distance required to build the pipeline.
( 84 0' 000 ) ( 2 x )
C' ( x ) =
48 0 ' 000=0
2
2 256 + x
Now to solve for x
480000=
1
480 ' 000

( 84 0' 000 x )

256+ x 2
256+ x 2
=

840' 000 x

'

840 000 x
= 256 + x 2
480 ' 000
1.75x=

256+ x 2

3.0625x2=256+x2
3.0625x2-x2=256
x2(2.0625)=256

x2=124.1212121
x=11.14097 miles
now plugging it back into the function
256+11.14097 2480' 000 (11.14097 ) +19 ' 860 ' 00 0
C ( x ) =840' 000
C(x)=$26164226.84
After using calculus to minimize the cost and distance, we have found that traveling
approzimately 11.14097 miles south-east through private land, then east on BLM land
will minimize the distance and cost for the company.

Reflection:
There is a lot that I have learned from calculus. From the beginning, we learned how to
find limits and understand what derivatives meant. Taking that information, we were
able to apply it to a real-life scenario and use things such as this project to understand
what calculus can do in the real world. Of the things learned during this class, related
rates were probably my favorite. It was fun to solve something being given very little
information. Although this course was challenging, I found it invigorating to be forced to
change your way of thinking in order to find information on the big picture.