Which figure belongs in the daily report?
A production analyst at the fictional Alder Basin Energy prepares an internal oil volume report.
The question
Both sites use the same measurement boundary and report one UTC day. Include records from 00:00 up to the start of the next day. The reporting lead approves releases and revisions.
| Site A | Site B | |
|---|---|---|
| Volume (barrels) | 520 | 360 |
| Basis | Measured | Estimated |
The two rows describe the same report cut and measurement boundary.
“Prepare the provisional total and explain each revision to the reporting lead.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: What is the opening figure?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Call all 880 barrels measured
Tempting, but it misses something. B’s 360 barrels come from an estimate.
Show the provisional total and its two bases
The strong move. The lead can see the measured and estimated parts before releasing the report.
Omit B and say the other site produced no oil
Tempting, but it misses something. B has a provisional estimate. Keep its basis visible until a measured record arrives.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The provisional total is 880 barrels. It includes 520 measured and 360 estimated barrels. I would keep that split beside the total.”
Why it works: A combined number can include both bases if the report shows which is which.
Step 2: Why is the dashboard total higher?
The dashboard shows 930 barrels. The source check finds a 50-barrel record with the same ID as one already in A’s 520.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Add the 50 barrels to the provisional report
Tempting, but it misses something. The same record was already included in A’s 520.
Remove the duplicate and keep the provisional split
The strong move. The correction changes the dashboard count. It does not change the site volumes.
Discard all of A because one row is repeated
Tempting, but it misses something. The duplicate can be removed while the original measured records are preserved.
See how a strong candidate says it
“The dashboard counts a 50-barrel record twice. I would remove the duplicate from the reconciliation. The provisional figure stays at 880 barrels.”
Why it works: A repeated record has the same identity and does not add volume.
Step 3: What changes after the backfill?
The measurement team supplies a measured total of 340 barrels for B and initially assigns it to the same UTC day.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Add the backfilled figure to B’s estimate
Tempting, but it misses something. Both numbers represent the same site and period.
Keep the estimate because it appeared first
Tempting, but it misses something. The reporting lead now has a measured figure and a reason to revise.
Replace the estimate and record why the figure changed
The strong move. This uses the measured record and preserves the history of the revision.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would replace B’s 360 estimate with its 340 measured barrels. The provisional measured total is 860, 20 below the previous provisional figure.”
Why it works: The backfill covers the same site and is treated as belonging to the same reporting period at this step.
Step 4: What changes after the time check?
A timestamp check confirms that 30 of B’s 340 measured barrels belong to the next UTC day. A is unchanged.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Keep all 340 barrels in the first day because they are measured
Tempting, but it misses something. The measurement basis does not change the day boundary.
Move 30 barrels to the next day and revise the report
The strong move. This preserves the measured volume across both periods while fixing the day assignment.
Remove the 30 from both reports
Tempting, but it misses something. The timestamps place the measured volume in the next report.
See how a strong candidate says it
“B contributes 310 barrels to this report, giving 830 measured barrels across both sites. I would carry the 30 to the next day once and give the reporting lead the versioned correction.”
Why it works: The verified timestamps change which report contains part of B’s total.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Report the basis and period, then give the reporting lead the revision.
- Because
- Duplicate IDs, updated measurements and timing can change the published total for different reasons.
- What would change it
- Another verified source correction would require a new version.
Common traps
- Match records before adding volumes.
- Use the same day boundary for both sites.
Check your answer
- I labeled the estimate.
- I removed one duplicate.
- I replaced the estimate with the measured record.
- I reconciled the change across both days.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026