An oil field prospector and developer reported a large oil deposit in southwestern Texas. As a result, a large oil and gas company purchased the field with the intention of drilling oil wells in the area soon afterwards. However, the company found that what had been reported to be a large oil deposit was actually much smaller than had been indicated. Thus, the methods that the prospector had used to determine the size of the oil deposit must have been inaccurate.
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
A. The company's methods of measuring the size of the oil deposit were determined by a third party to be more accurate than those used by the prospector.
B. The prospector did not purposefully fabricate or misrepresent the size of the oil deposit.
C. Though smaller than originally thought, the oil deposit contained enough oil to make drilling commercially feasible.
D. The prospector did not explore other oil fields and use the same methods to determine the magnitude of the oil present, if any.
E. The company had successfully drilled for oil in other large oil fields in Texas throughout the early twentieth century.
OA B
Source: Manhattan Prep
5-Day Free Trial
5-day free, full-access trial TTP
Available with Beat the GMAT members only code
MORE DETAILS
An oil field prospector and developer reported a large oil
This topic has expert replies
-
BTGmoderatorDC
- Moderator
- Posts: 7187
- Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:43 pm
- Followed by:23 members
Timer
00:00
Your Answer
A
B
C
D
E
Global Stats
-
deloitte247
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 2214
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:22 pm
- Followed by:5 members
Timer
00:00
Your Answer
A
B
C
D
E
Global Stats
We need to find the assumption to which the argument depends on.
Premise: A large oil field deposit was reported to be in Southwestern Texas.
Option A - Correct
The method of using the third-party is probably the reason for the miscalculated measurement of the
Option B - Incorrect
This doesn't explain how the method used to determine the size of the oil right is inaccurate.
Option C - Incorrect
If true, the argument does not depend on this assumption. The argument believes the oil filed including the oil in it is smaller than was aforementioned.
Option D - Incorrect
The argument is not concerned about other fields. So, this is not the assumption to which the argument is based on.
Option E - Incorrect
Any other field aside from the oil field in Southwestern Texas is outside the scope of the argument.
Premise: A large oil field deposit was reported to be in Southwestern Texas.
Option A - Correct
The method of using the third-party is probably the reason for the miscalculated measurement of the
Option B - Incorrect
This doesn't explain how the method used to determine the size of the oil right is inaccurate.
Option C - Incorrect
If true, the argument does not depend on this assumption. The argument believes the oil filed including the oil in it is smaller than was aforementioned.
Option D - Incorrect
The argument is not concerned about other fields. So, this is not the assumption to which the argument is based on.
Option E - Incorrect
Any other field aside from the oil field in Southwestern Texas is outside the scope of the argument.
