February 01, 2010 07:00 AM CST THE WOODLANDS, Texas - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) and Austria’s University of Leoben announce the formation of a research collaboration to promote advanced technology for low-impact oil and gas drilling. The new Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems - European (EFD-EU) Chapter, established as part of the Environmentally Friendly Drilling (EFD) Program, will identify, fund and transfer cost effective technologies and best practices to accelerate development of reserves in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. According to Rich Haut, manager of the EFD program and senior research scientist at HARC...

HARC has just released a report on "An Experimental Evaluation of NOx Reductions from Hydrogen Enhanced Diesel Combustion."  Although mix results were obtained with regards to NOx emissions, the addition of hydrogen to the fuel did significantly reduce particulate matter emissions.

HARC Senior Scientist Pris Weeks has been named Chair of the Ecosystem Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) for the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (GMFMC). GMFMC is one of 8 regional councils that develop management plans for fisheries in federal waters.  The goal of the Ecosystem SSC is to, "Restore and conserve marine resources, taking into account the protection of marine ecosystems, and foster the long-term sustainable use of marine resources in an ecologically and culturally sensitive manner through the use of a science-based ecosystem approach to resource management."