Pipeline Project

Taylor Summers

Salt Lake Community College

Math 1210 Spring 2018

 Enclosed in this project report is a summary of our research with the Vernal Utah
pipeline project. As you know our Civil Engineering department has been working on this
project for 3 months. Our natural gas wells near vernal Utah have been highly productive these
last 6 months. Because of this we have researched routes that could be used to build a pipeline
from the well to our refinery.
There are a few challenges to this project and because of those challenges we had to
evaluate five different routes where the pipeline could be established. Among the challenges is
the type of land we would have to cross. There is both BLM land and private property between
the well and the refinery. Also one route would involve carving our way through a mountain.
Each of these routes has its own costs and benefits. Each route has a different monetary cost
established with it, and each route has a different amount of pipe that would be laid. The rest
of this report will go into great detail on these five different routes with all the calculated costs,
and distances we established while researching this future project. Below is a map of the
position of the well, refinery, and types of land to be crossed.

Route One
We can build the pipeline around the private ground by going 41 miles directly west and then
76 miles south and finally 135 miles east to the refinery (see figure below). Cost for materials,
labor and fees to run the pipeline across BLM ground is $98,000 per mile.
41 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡 + 76 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ + 135 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 = 252 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠
$98000 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠
$98000 × 252 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 = $24,696,000 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡

Route Two
We can build a pipeline by going east through the mountain then south to the refinery. The cost
of drilling through the existing mountain would be a one-time cost of $4,054,000 on top of the
normal costs ($98,000 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 $88,000 and will delay the project by 5 months costing the company
another $11,000 per month. A route of this pipeline is shown below.

$98000 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒 (94 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 + 76 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑡ℎ) = $16660000 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒
$88000 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 + 5 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑦 ($11000 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡) = $143000 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡
$4054000 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡
$16660000 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑖𝑝𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 + $143000 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 + $4054000 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 =
$20,857,000 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡

Route Three
The third route would travel the shortest distance across the private ground. For any pipeline
running across private ground, there is an additional $32,000 per mile cost for right-of-way fees
in addition to the normal costs ($98,000 per mile) of the pipeline itself.
942 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 + 762 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 = 𝑥 2 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠

√14612 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 = 𝑥 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠

$98000 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 + $32000 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 − 𝑜𝑓 − 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑒 = $130000 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒
120.8801059 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 × $1300000 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 = $15,714,413.77 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡

Route Four
The fourth route would travel directly south of the well across private ground. Then from there
it would travel directly east on BLM ground to the refinery. For any pipeline running across
private ground, there is an additional $32,000 per mile cost for right-of-way fees in addition to
the normal costs ($98,000 per mile) of the pipeline itself.

(76 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 × $130000 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑) + (94 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 × $98000 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒) =
$19,092,000 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡
 Route Five
The fifth and final route would consist of traveling through the private ground at a certain angle
until the pipeline would intersect the BLM ground. the pipeline would travel directly east from
there to the refinery. We calculated this route to minimize both cost and distance to the
refinery. For any pipeline running across private ground, there is an additional $32,000 per mile
cost for right-of-way fees in addition to the normal costs ($98,000 per mile) of the pipeline
itself.

𝐶(𝑥) = $130000(𝑦) + $98000(94 − 𝑥)

𝑦 2 = 762 + 𝑥 2

𝑦 = √762 + 𝑥 2

𝐶(𝑥) = 130000 (√762 + 𝑥 2 ) + 98000(94 − 𝑥)

1
𝐶 ′ (𝑥) = 65000(5776 + 𝑥 2 )−2 (2𝑥) − 98000
1
0 = 130000𝑥 (5776 + 𝑥 2 )−2 − 98000
130000𝑥
98000 = − 98000
√5776+𝑥 2

1 √5776+𝑥 2
98000
= 130000𝑥
130000𝑥

1300002 𝑥 2
= 5776 + 𝑥 2
980002
1.759683465𝑥 2 − 𝑥 2 = 5776
5776
𝑥2 =
1.759683465
𝑥 = √7603.166669
𝑥 = 87.196

𝐶(87.196) = 130000(√762 + 87.1962 + 98000(94 − 87.196)

𝐶(87.196) = $15,703,663.58 total cost

115.668 miles across private ground at an angle of 5.1158 degrees

83.196 miles across BLM Ground

Based on the research that we have conducted the optimal route to place the pipeline is by following
route five. Although we would have to travel through private ground it would be the cheapest route
optimizing the area between our well and the refinery.
 Course Reflection
Calculus one has been a very interesting course. I initially didn’t know what to expect coming into the
class but through the weeks I have spent in class and doing homework. I have already seen the
importance of calculus. One application that I have been exposed to is the application of position
functions being easily converted into velocity functions and then if need be into acceleration functions.
Derivative or the slope has proven to be a very valuable concept and I can see my self using this
application in my future classes and career as a mechanical engineer.