Tryston Taylor

Math 1210

11/26/17

Pipeline Project

Premise: 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 16 miles south and
finally 40 miles east to the refinery (see figure below). Cost for materials, labor and fees
to run the pipeline across BLM ground is $480,000 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 ($480,000 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 $600,000 and will delay the project by 8 months
costing the company another $100,000 per month.

For any pipeline run across private ground, your company incurs an additional $360,000
per mile cost for right-of-way fees.

a) Determine the cost of running the pipeline strictly on BLM ground with two
different cases:
i) One running west, south and then east to the refinery.
C(x)=480000(x)
C(64)=480000(64)=30,720,000
ii) One heading east through the mountain and then south to the refinery.
C(x)=480000(x)+4500000+600000(1)+100000(8)
C(48)= 480000(48)+4500000+600000+800000=28,940,000
b) Determine the cost of running the pipeline:
i) The shortest distance across the private ground to the refinery.
32^2+16^2=C^2 (Pythagorean Theorem for the right triangle across
private land)
1024+256=c^2
Sqrt(1280)=c
c=35.77708
C(35.77708)=480000(35.77708)+360000(35.77708)=30,052,747.2

ii) Straight south across the private ground, then straight east to the refinery.
cost=480000(48)+360000(16)=28,800,000
c) Determine the cost function for the pipeline for the 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. Use this function to
find the optimal way to run the pipeline to minimize cost. Determine the length of
pipe that runs across private land and how far from the refinery it starts running
on BLM land. Determine the angle at which your optimal path leaves the well.
Clearly show all work including drawing the pipeline on the figure below. Make it
very clear how you use your knowledge of calculus to determine the optimal
placement of the pipeline.
y^2=x^2+16^2
y=sqrt(x^2+16^2)
tan(theta)=x/16
C(x)=480000(32-x)+840000(sqrt(x^2+256))
C(x)=-480000((x^2+256)^1/2)+840000x=0=>Derivative
840,000x=480,000(x^2+256)^1/2
7/4x=(x^2+256)^1/2
49/16x=x^2+256
33x^2=4096
X=64/sqrt(33) =>Critical Number of the cost function
Y=sqrt((64/sqrt(33)^2)+256)
Y=19.497=>optimal route across private ground, remaining distance is
through BLM land
C(x)=480000(32-sqrt(4096/33))+840000(sqrt(sqrt(4096/33)^2)+256)
=26,389,560.28
Angle=tan(theta)=(4/sqrt(33))=tan^-1(4/sqrt(33))=34.85
Graph of the function:
 Conclusion/Reflection

Calculus is similar in nature to any science class; it requires an understanding of

fundamental theory in order to solve any related problems, fundamental theory in this case is the

fundamentals of math like trigonometry and college algebra. Lacking the fundamentals you cant

hope to solve the problems that truly mean something; calculus is where solving those problems

begins in my opinion. Integration and differentiation tell you something about the problem in

front of you, rather than solving the problem they tell you everything about the problem and in

the case of differentiation what is optimal in a given scenario like above. Without calculus you

cant solve these problems which attest to its usefulness and its application in the real world.

Engineering at its core is creating solutions, to create accurate and worthwhile solutions requires

a great amount of understanding especially in math, without that understanding you cost people

money, resources, and in worst case scenario lives, which ultimately means correct answers to

problems is critically important. After all in engineering it is rocket science.