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(Problems 12 and 13 Must Be Kept Together

question 8

Multiple Choice

(Problems 12 and 13 must be kept together. Use 13 only if 12 is also used.)
-Texas Wildcatters Inc. (TWI) is in the business of finding and developing oil properties, and then selling the successful ones to major oil refining companies. TWI is now considering a new potential field, and its geologists have developed the following data, in thousands of dollars. t = 0. A $400 feasibility study would be conducted at t = 0. The results of this study would determine if the company should commence drilling operations or make no further investment and abandon the project.
T = 1. If the feasibility study indicates good potential, the firm would spend $1,000 at t = 1 to drill exploratory wells. The best estimate is that there is an 80% probability that the exploratory wells would indicate good potential and thus that further work would be done, and a 20% probability that the outlook would look bad and the project would be abandoned.
T = 2. If the exploratory wells test positive, TWI would go ahead and spend $10,000 to obtain an accurate estimate of the amount of oil in the field at t = 2. The best estimate now is that there is a 60% probability that the results would be very good and a 40% probability that results would be poor and the field would be abandoned.
T = 3. If the full drilling program is carried out, there is a 50% probability of finding a lot of oil and receiving a $25,000 cash inflow at t = 3, and a 50% probability of finding less oil and then only receiving a $10,000 inflow.
Since the project is considered to be quite risky, a 20% cost of capital is used. What is the project's expected NPV, in thousands of dollars?

Definitions:

Principal Location

The main office or site where the central operations of a business are conducted or the primary place of business.

Accounts Receivable

Funds that customers owe to a company for products or services that have been provided but not yet compensated for.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

A contra-asset account used to estimate the portion of a company's accounts receivable that may not be collectible.

Mutual Agency

A principle in partnership where each partner is both an agent and a principal to the partnership, authorized to bind the partnership in contracts and agreements.