Findings: Gas Piping Best Route

Having reviewed the provided information regarding which route will be the least costly to install piping
from the drilling site to refinery I am of the opinion that the best route should follow a S37E direction
from the drilling site through private land to BLM owned land and then turn due East to complete the
remaining 16.25 miles to the refinery. This route will cost $8,000,000.
The following calculations show data for the other requested routes.

Pertinent Information
BLM Rate: $300,000/mile
Private Land Rate: $500,000/mile
300,000 + 200,000 = $500,000
Mountain Additional Cost: $750,000
500,000 + 100,000 + 3(50,000) = $750,000

Begin by identifying the pertinent

information. The cost to run pipeline
through BLM owned land is $300,000.
Additional costs for going through private
land of $200,000. Going through the
mountain includes the $500,000
additional cost including the environment
study and the three-month delay cost.

Route a.1
+
(20 + 5)(300,000) + 750,000 = $, ,

Route a.2
= (1 + 5 + 21)(300,000) = $, ,

Route b
= (52 + 202 ) (500,000) = $, ,

Route a.1 follows the path

around private land of 25 miles at
the standard rate with the
additional cost of running pipe
through the mountain.

Route a.2 travels around private land

with distance of 27 miles through BLM
owned land at the standard rate.

Route b runs pipe directly through private

land incurring the additional costs making
this the most expensive route. The distance
is found by following the Pythagorean
Theorem that the hypotenuse is the
squared value of the squared height and
squared base of right angled triangle.

Route c
Route c heads in a southeast direction at some angle and then turns when BLM owned land is reached. To obtain
the optimum angle and distance a function must first be found which represents the various options at different
distances. From that function an optimum distance can be found.
= (1 1 ) + (2 2 )

The function to be found is a cost function

to be dependent on the variable x, which
= ((20 )2 + 52 ) (500,000) + ()(300,000)
shows the relation between the BLM
distance and private land distance.
Similarly to how Route b was found, 1 is found by using the Pythagorean Theorem. The x-value is the value
acting on the base distance in the tringle that will change based on where the x-distance begins from the
refinery.
= 500,000((20 )2 + 25)1/2 + 300,000
= 250,000((20 )2 + 25)1/2 2(20 ) 1 + 300,000
=

500,000(20 )
25 + (20 )2

= 16.25

+ 300,000

Function C is then manipulated by

moving the square root to an
exponent to make it easier to find
the first derivative which will help
to find the critical points on
function C. When finding the
derivative, it is essential to follow
the chain rule. Using technology,
the single root for C is found to
be 16.25

The graph above shows both C and C. C as purple and C as orange. As predicted, the absolute minimum of C has
the same x-value of C as C crosses the x-axis, representing that C has a zero slope.
= ((20 16.25)2 + 52 ) (500,000) + (16.25)(300,000)
= (6.25)(500,000) + (16.25)(300,000)
= 3,125,000 + 4,875,000
= $, ,

The critical x-value of 16.25 is

plugged back into the original C
function to show the cost when x
is at the ideal minimum.

Route a.1 = $8,250,000

Route a.2 = $8,100,000
Route b = $10,307,764

As a review; the various options

and cost are compared. It is
clear that Route c employs the
lowest cost.

Route c = $8,000,000

Calculus Reflection
Throughout this class I have seen many scenarios where an understanding of calculus not only makes the
approach to the solution of a problem simpler and more accurate, but also possible whereas with previous
knowledge would be impossible. For example, finding the derivative of a function almost comes naturally now.
The first and second derivatives help to understand the initial function. Such as its turning points, when its
slope is negative or positive, and whether it is concave up or concave down. As I prepare to study physics next
semester Im sure that these tools will help immensely. More importantly the experience in this class has helped
me to think more critically to find solutions to problems.