Salt Lake CC, Math 1210

Pipeline Project
The U.S. Interior Secretary recently approved drilling of natural gas wells near Vernal, Utah. Your
company has begun drilling and established a high-producing well on BLM ground. They now need to
build a pipeline to get the natural gas to their refinery.

While running the line directly to the refinery will be the least amount of pipe and shortest distance, it
would require running the line across private ground and paying a right-of-way fee. There is a mountain
directly east of the well that must be drilled through in order to run the pipeline due east. Your company
can build the pipeline around the private ground by going 8 miles directly west and then 15 miles south
and finally 32 miles east to the refinery. Cost for materials, labor and fees to run the pipeline across BLM
ground is $350,000 per mile.

Cost of drilling through the existing mountain would be a one-time cost of $4,500,000 on top of the
normal costs ($350,000 per mile) of the pipeline itself. Also, the BLM will require an environmental
impact study before allowing you to drill through the mountain. Cost for the study is estimated to be
$180,000 and will delay the project by 5 months costing the company another $75,000 per month.

For any pipeline run across private ground, your company incurs an additional $90,000 per mile cost for
right-of-way fees.

My Report

Costs
pipeline: $350,000 per mile

Through Mountain: $4,500,000

+ $180,000 (one-time fees) +
$75,000*5

Private ground: additional

$90,000 per mile

Blue: 8(350,000) + 15(350,000) + 32(350,000)

Red: 4,500,000 + 180,000 + 5(75,000) + (32 8)(350,000) + 15(350,000)

The cost of running the pipeline west, south and then east (traced in blue) to the refinery is $19,250,000.
The cost of running the pipeline east through the mountain and then south (traced in red) to the refinery
is $18,705,000.
 Blue: using Pythagorean theorem 152 + 242 = 2 , = 801 = 389, therefore
Cost = 389(350,000 + 90,000)
Red: 15(350,000 + 90,000) + 24(350,000 + 90,000)
The cost of running the pipeline the shortest distance across the private ground (traced in blue) to the
refinery is $12,452,855.09. The cost of running the pipeline straight south across the private ground, then
straight east (traced in red) to the refinery is $15,000,000.

There is a cost function for the pipeline configuration involving running from the well across the private
ground at some angle and intersecting the BLM ground to the south and then running east to the
refinery. Using this function, we can find the optimal way to run the pipeline at minimal cost.

To determine this cost function, we can see that = (350,000 + 90,000) + 350,000 we know
that 152 + 2 = 2 , = 24 , therefore = 2 + 225 = ( 2 + 225)1/2 .
We can write the cost function as () = 350,000(24 ) + 440,000( 2 + 225)1/2 .

To find the optimal path first find the derivative of the cost function then set it equal to zero.

1 1
1

(350,000(24 )) = 350,000, and (440,0002 ) = 440,000 (2) 2 (), and = ( 2 +
440,000x
225) = 48 + 801, so = 2, therefore () = 350,000 +
2
, set equal to 0 and
2 +225
440,000x 350,000
add the constant to both sides, 350,000 = , divide from both sides = , square
2 +225 440,000 2 +225
352 2
both sides 442 = 2 +152, cross multiply 35 2 + 7875 = 44 2 , then add like terms and divide
352 152 30625
2 352 + 352 152 = 2 442 , 352 152 = 711 2 , 711
= 2, 79
= 19.689038
Now that we know our critical points = 0, = 24, = 19.689038 we can calculate them in the
original equation to find the minimum. We already know x = 0 and x = 24 so we can calculate 19.68 and
verify that its a minimum.
1
2 2
30625 30625
() = 350,000 (24 ) + 440,000 ( + 225) = 12399687.49
79 79

1
() = 350,000(24 19.6) + 440,000(19.62 + 225)2 = 12399713.44
1
() = 350,000(24 19.7) + 440,000(19.72 + 225)2 = 12399687.88
12399687.49 < 12399713.44, 12399687.49 < 12399687.88

Whats left is to determine the values of y and z, then use the law of cosines to find the angle at which the
pipe leaves the well.
= 24 = 4.311

= 2 + 225 = 24.7519
152 + 2 2
cos = 2(15)()
= 0.606013, cos1 0. 606013 = 52.6982

90 52.6982 = 37.3018

The length of pipe that runs across private land is 24.75 miles long, and it starts running on BLM land
4.311 miles before the refinery. The pipe leaves the well and goes through private land at a 37.3 angle.
 () = 350000 + 440000 2 + 225

19.689, 17781987.4878

You can search

This is a graph of the original cost function, and as youfor
canany
see the minimum is marked at about 19.7,
which is the same as the derivative set equal to zero because thats where the slope equals zero. Credit to
mathematical
Google Calculator for graph. expression, using
functions such
as: sin, cos, sqrt,
etc. You can find
Reflection of calculusaand its application
complete list of
functions here.
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While taking this calculus course I have recognized a few key concepts. We began with limits,
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then we learned how to find, manipulate, and understand derivatives. There are several different
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applications of derivatives, and at the start of the course they seemed
sin almost pointless. However, as the
course goes on we keep learning different ways to use derivatives, ln and they become more and more

useful. The most useful, in my opinion, was part of this report. cos
Optimization, using derivatives to find the
minimums and maximums to find the best way to complete a function.log
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Optimization is a concept that I can recall many times thinking,
tan if only there was an easier way to
the same length of fence, a box with
find the best way to do that. Things like making a bigger corral with
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the largest volume of the same surface area, or finding the cheapest
EXP path from one point to another.
When I learned how simple it was to do it I was amazed. Its notxa crazy concept, but I had never thought
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that way before. The biggest part is thinking of how to relate to things
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My second favorite thing about derivatives is using them7 as rates of change. Finding velocity is
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important for many reasons, I work with cars so my initial thought 9 of velocity is always miles per hour.

What really intrigued me, was finding a second derivative to determine the acceleration. Its so simple,
4 its incredible.
but as I said before, its just thinking of math in a different way, and
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