HARC deployed a mobile laboratory equipped with a Geographical Positioning System (GPS) and a Proton Transfer Reaction-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) to perform real time measurements of ambient concentrations of toxic volatile organic compounds in the vicinity of oil and gas sites located on a large private property in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas.
Potential Near-Source Ozone Impacts of Oil and Gas Sites in the Eagle Ford Shale
With financial support from the Environmental Defense Fund, Dr. Eduardo (Jay) Olaguer used the HARC microscale air quality model to assess the ozone impacts of oil and gas production facilities in the Eagle Ford Shale. Different geographical configurations and ozone transport conditions were used to gauge how much oil and gas sites may increase ambient ozone over regional background levels. A unique aspect of the assessment was the application of the model inverse mode and automated gas chromatograph measurements to determine the composition of suspected flare event emissions. Primary formaldehyde (HCHO) and reactive hydrocarbons from combustion sources were found to increase peak ambient ozone within the study area in Karnes County, Texas by up to ~4 ppb. Moreover, flare event emissions increased exports of odd oxygen (O3 + NO2) at the model edge by up to ~12 ppb. Carcinogenic species were also significantly enhanced; HCHO concentrations over 10 ppb and benzene concentrations over 50 ppb were produced within 10 km and 500 m respectively downwind of the flare event source.
Primary Researcher
Research Scientist, Energy and Natural Resource Policy
Marina Badoian-Kriticos is a Research Scientist at HARC.
Research Associate, Hydrology and Watersheds
Ryan Bare is a research associate at HARC specializing in Hydrology and Watersheds.
Geospatial & Analytics Senior Manager
Bill Bass is a Certified GIS professional and has extensive experience in geospatial technologies, project management, and enterprise solutions.
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Mustapha Beydoun is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC).
Geospatial/IT Analytics Researcher
Likun Chen is an IT & Web Development Specialist at HARC. He is responsible for IT support and admins all HARC onsite and cloud-based servers.
Program Director, Clean Energy Policy
Gavin Dillingham has a PhD from Rice University, where he specialized in natural resource policy, institutional design and policy adoption.
Research Associate, Clean Energy Technology
Carlos Gamarra is a Research Associate at HARC under the Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership (CHP TAP) program.
Environmental Scientist and Co-Founder, Pacific Institute
Program Director, Hydrology and Watersheds
Stephanie Glenn has a PhD in environmental science and engineering from Rice with a focus on ecology, environmental management, and hydrology.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Gonzalez is the President and Chief Executive Officer of HARC.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Community and Climate Resilience
Dr. Meredith Jennings is an expert in climate resilience and Earth system science.
Professor, MEF University Istanbul, Turkey
Research Scientist, Coastal Ecology
Erin Kinney is a postdoctoral research scientist at HARC specializing in coastal and wetland ecology.
Research Scientist, Energy and Sustainability
Carolyn LaFleur, P.E. is Civil Engineer specializing in sustainability and resilience in the natural and built environments.
Advisor, Center for Strategic Studies and Management
Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University
Bruce A. McCarl is a University Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University.
General Manager, Water Resources Planning at the Murray–Darling Basin Authority
General Manager, Water Resources Planning at the Murray–Darling Basin Authority
Environmental Scientist, Cologne University of Applied Sciences
Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University
Professor of East Asian Studies, University of Arizona
HARC Distinguished Fellow
Jurgen Schmandt is professor emeritus, Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas, Austin.
Geospatial & Analytics Specialist
Qian Song is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist at HARC.
Research Scientist, University of Texas Center for Research on Water Resources
George H. Ward is Research Scientist at the University of Texas Center for Research in Water Resources.
Research Associate, Engine and Emissions Control
Asanga Wijesinghe has a PhD in Physics from University of Houston and works on the the Engine and Emissions Control program at HARC.
Research Scientist, Energy and Environmental Stewardship
Andra Wilcox is a Research Assistant at HARC working with the Environmentally Friendly Drilling Systems Program.