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Dr. Richard Haut is currently a Senior Research Scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) where he serves as the program manager for energy and the environment projects. A major effort is serving as Principal Investigator (P.I.) for the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Program in partnership with Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State University, other universities, industry and environmental organizations with the objective of integrating advanced technologies into systems that significantly reduce the environmental footprint of petroleum drilling and production. The effort was recognized by the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, receiving their Chairman’s Environmental Partnership award in 2009. In addition, Dr. Haut is the P.I. of the Coastal Impacts Technology Program (CITP) aimed at addressing environmental issues associated with energy production along the Texas gulf coast.
Dr. Haut’s technical background includes a Masters degree and a Ph.D. in Engineering. He has over 25 years of industry technical and management experience prior to joining HARC in June 2002, having been responsible for analyzing offerings for key technologies or niche capabilities and developing synergistic, strategic relationships in the energy industry. He also was instrumental in establishing joint ventures and other joint industry programs, including the start-up of Enventure Global Technology where he was the Chief Operating Officer. Over a two year time period, Dr. Haut was involved in the successful development of Enventure, taking it from conception to profitability during this time period. In 1999 he received Hart Publication’s Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation and in 2002 received the Natural Gas Innovator of the Year Award from the Department of Energy. Dr. Haut’s career includes a ten year time period where he was assigned to North Sea operations as a well technology manager and advisor for drilling and completion operations in both Norway and Scotland.
Dr. Haut served as the Director of the Sustainable Technologies Group at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) from 2002 to 2006. In the position, he was responsible for directing various HARC teams associated with high performance green building systems and materials, trace chemical detection, offshore technologies, cryogenics/superconductivity and air emissions reduction technologies - moving knowledge to action in supporting policies and technologies that improve human well-being and the environment. Dr. Haut also served as P.I. for various projects associated with ecologized building systems, and represented HARC on various committee and organizations, including the EPA’s Regional and Local Land Revitalization Team. During his tenure, the Group won a variety of awards, including the Innovative Technology Award for Wood Treatment Processing, the Citizen’s Environmental Coalition President’s synergy award and an honorable mention for the Keep Houston Beautiful award. Dr. Haut established various projects concerning the built environment with the City of Houston, in particular, the Solar America Cities program, various energy efficiency and renovation programs, the George R. Brown Solar Pilot Program and the East Harris County Solar Energy Pilot Program.
Dr. Haut has been invited to speak at various conferences, has authored numerous papers, has been awarded over three dozen patents and has several patents pending. He has also been requested to participate in Congressional hearings and briefings. He was featured in the Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2008 as well as the Summer 2008 edition of Echoes, the alumni magazine of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the media. He has frequently been asked to speak about sustainable development, the built environment and the offshore/energy industry. In addition, he has given testimony to Congress concerning research and technology developments to produce energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner and served on a five member work group to assist the National BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill and Offshore Drilling Commission. He is a board member of the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) where he also chairs the Environmental Advisory Group. He also served on the US Green Building Council – National Research Committee where he represented all non-profits across the U.S.
Expertise
- Engineering
- Green Building Practices
- Exploration and Production Operations
Programs & Projects
Awards
- Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission Chairman’s Stewardship Award – Environmental Partnership (2009)
- Natural Gas Innovator Award, GTI Strategic Center for Natural Gas (2002)
- Meritorious Award for Engineering Innovation, Hart’s Publications (1999)
Congressional Hearings and Briefings
- "The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program," Invited Briefing to the Secretary of Energy’s Energy Advisory Board – Natural Gas Subcommittee, Washington, D.C. (2011-06-28)
- Discussion with Director Bromwich, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, concerning Deepwater Drilling Safety, Containment, and Spill Response, Houston, TX, briefing.(2010-09-07)
- House Committee on Science and Technology/Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing: "Deluge of Oil Highlights Research and Technology Needs for Oil Recovery and Effective Cleanup of Oil Spills." (2010-0-09)
- House Committee on Energy and Commerce/Subcommittee on Energy and Environment hearing: "Beneath the Surface of the BP Spill – What’s Happening Now, What's Needed Next." (2010-06-09)
Federal Commission/Work Groups
- Work Group to assist the National BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf Spill and Offshore Drilling Commission (2010)
Research Programs – Peer Reviewer
- US Department of Energy’s SBIR Program (2009)
- US Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy Program (2009)
- National Energy Technology Laboratory Program (US Department of Energy) (2008-2009)
- US Environmental Protection Agency SBIR Program (2006-2007, 2009)
- US Environmental Protection Agency P3 Program (2008-2009)
- US Department of Energy SBIR Program (2008-2010)
Recent Publications
- Haut, R.C., Williams, T., Theordori, G., Slutz, J.: “Balancing Environmental, Societal and Energy Production Issues,” extended abstract presented at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) 2011 Conference, 10-13 April 2011.
- Haut, R.C.: “We Can Minimize Negative Side-Effects of Shale Drilling,” Houston Chronicle, February 12, 2011, pp. B8-9.
- Haut, R.C., Burnett, D., Williams, T., Theodori, G.: “Balancing Environmental Tradeoffs Associated with Low Impact Drilling Systems to Produce Unconventional Natural Gas Resources,” paper CSUG/SPE-1337430-PP presented at the Canadian Unconventional Resources & International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 19-21 October 2010.
- Haut, R.C., Bergan, J.F., Judy, J., and Price, L.: "Living in Harmony - Gas Production and the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken," paper SPE-133652-PP presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Italy, 19-22 September 2010.
- Haut, R.C., Burnett, D., Williams, T. and Theodori, G.: "Balancing Environmental Tradeoffs Associated with Low Impact Drilling Systems to Produce Unconventional Natural Gas Resources," presented at the Canadian Unconventional Resources and International Petroleum Conference, 19-21 October 2010, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Recent Invited Presentations
- Environmentally Friendly Drilling – Addressing Water Issues, Keynote presentation at the Groundwater Protection Council Underground Injection Control Annual Conference, Houston, TX. (2012-01-24)
- Environmentally Friendly Drilling Programs. Presentation given at the Oklahoma Unconventional Resources Forum, Tulsa, OK. (2011-12-13)
- Reducing Environmental Footprints by Providing Unbiased Science for Policy and Cost Effective Operations. Presentation given during panel discussion at the World Shale Gas Conference & Exhibition, Houston, TX. (2011-11-07)
- Providing Science and Solutions to Shale Development. Presentation given during special environmental panel discussion at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver, CO. (2011-11-02)
- Balancing Environmental Tradeoffs – Clearing the Air. Presentation given at the Colorado Oil and Gas Association Western Slope Annual Meeting, Grand Junction, CO. (2011-10-27)
- Reducing the Environmental Footprint, SPE Shale Gas Development Workshop, Pittsburgh, PA. (2011-04-28)
- The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program, AADE Workshop, Houston, TX. (2011-04-14)
- Balancing Environmental Tradeoffs Associated with Natural Gas Production, Presented at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. (2011-03-29)
- The Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program, Presented at the US Energy Association, Washington, D.C. (2011-02-08)