Inactive oil and gas structures. U.S. federal regulations

Chapter 3, Problem 39E

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QUESTION:

Problem 39E

Inactive oil and gas structures. U.S. federal regulations require that operating companies clear all inactive offshore oil and gas structures within 1 year after production ceases. Researchers at the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies gathered data on both active and inactive oil and gas structures in the Gulf of Mexico (Oil & Gas Journal, Jan. 3, 2005). They discovered that the Gulf of Mexico has 2,175 active and 1,225 idle (inactive) structures. The following table breaks down these structures by type (caisson, well protector, or fixed platform). Consider the structure type and active status of one of these oil/gas structures.

Source: Data from Kaiser, M., and Mesyanzhinov, D. “Study tabulates idle Gulf of Mexico structures,” Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 103, No. 1, Jan. 3, 2005 (Table 2).

a. List the simple events for this experiment.

b. Assign reasonable probabilities to the simple events.

c. Find the probability that the structure is active.

d. Find the probability that the structure is a well protector.

e. Find the probability that the structure is an inactive caisson.

f. Find the probability that the structure is either inactive or a fixed platform.

g. Find the probability that the structure is not a caisson.

Questions & Answers

QUESTION:

Problem 39E

Inactive oil and gas structures. U.S. federal regulations require that operating companies clear all inactive offshore oil and gas structures within 1 year after production ceases. Researchers at the Louisiana State University Center for Energy Studies gathered data on both active and inactive oil and gas structures in the Gulf of Mexico (Oil & Gas Journal, Jan. 3, 2005). They discovered that the Gulf of Mexico has 2,175 active and 1,225 idle (inactive) structures. The following table breaks down these structures by type (caisson, well protector, or fixed platform). Consider the structure type and active status of one of these oil/gas structures.

Source: Data from Kaiser, M., and Mesyanzhinov, D. “Study tabulates idle Gulf of Mexico structures,” Oil & Gas Journal, Vol. 103, No. 1, Jan. 3, 2005 (Table 2).

a. List the simple events for this experiment.

b. Assign reasonable probabilities to the simple events.

c. Find the probability that the structure is active.

d. Find the probability that the structure is a well protector.

e. Find the probability that the structure is an inactive caisson.

f. Find the probability that the structure is either inactive or a fixed platform.

g. Find the probability that the structure is not a caisson.

ANSWER:

Solution 39E

Step1 of 8:

Let us consider the structure type and active status of one of these oil/gas structures.

Structure Type

Caisson

Well Protector

Fixed Platform

Totals

Active

503

225

1447

2175

Inactive

598

177

450

1225

Here our goal is:

a). We need to list the simple events for this experiment.

b). We need to assign reasonable probabilities to the simple events.

c). We need to find the probability that the structure is active.

d). We need to find the probability that the structure is a well protector.

e). We need to find the probability that the structure is an inactive caisson.

f). We need to find the probability that the structure is either inactive or a fixed platform.

g). We need to find the probability that the structure is not a caisson.


Step2 of 8:

a).

Let us define the events:

A = oil structure is active

I = oil structure is Inactive

C = oil structure is caisson

W = oil structure is well protector

F = oil structure is fixed platform.

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