Question

what is the reason that the work of engineer who studies earthquakes, landslides, and rock falls is valuable to the petroleum industry?
knowledge of earth materials combined with engineering skill is vital to finding and accessing oil.
natural disasters can and should be mitigated to help the petroleum industry.
environmental protection efforts are necessary to minimize fracking and other ways of accessing oil.
water resources knowledge, combined with highly paid labor, is vital to finding and accessing oil.

Explanation:

Engineers studying earthquakes, landslides, and rock falls have knowledge of earth materials. In the petroleum industry, understanding earth materials (where oil might be located, how to access it through different earth formations) combined with engineering skills (to drill, extract etc.) is crucial for finding and accessing oil. Natural disasters mitigation (second option) is too broad as the question is about the value to petroleum industry specifically related to the engineer's work. Environmental protection (third option) and water resources (fourth option) are not directly related to the core work of such engineers in the context of petroleum industry's need for finding and accessing oil.

Answer:

Knowledge of earth materials combined with engineering skill is vital to finding and accessing oil.