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Robert Rapier

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Chief Technology Officer, Merica International

305 points

I have worked on cellulosic ethanol, butanol production, oil refining, natural gas production, and gas-to-liquids (GTL), and have five patents in these various areas. I have written numerous articles covering a broad spectrum of the energy sector, with particular emphasis ...

I have worked on cellulosic ethanol, butanol production, oil refining, natural gas production, and gas-to-liquids (GTL), and have five patents in these various areas. I have written numerous articles covering a broad spectrum of the energy sector, with particular emphasis on hydrocarbons, ethanol, biomass, peak oil, and the politics of energy policy.

I have BS degrees in chemistry and math, and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University. I am presently the Chief Technology Officer for Merica International, a privately held renewable energy company. We are involved in a wide variety of projects, with a core focus on the localized use of biomass to energy for the benefit of local populations.

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WEB: RSquared Energy Blog

Nov. 30, 2011

Robert Rapier and 4 other people answered this question

When will bio fuels be a legitimate alternative to petroleum?

"...assuming the nutrients and sunlight could be available that's how fast we could be completely replacing petroleum fuels with biofuels."
That's quite a leap of logic, Stafford, considering that algae don't produce much oil during that rapid biomass growth phase. That is of course one of ... more

Aug. 5, 2011

Robert Rapier and 52 other people answered this question

How much does correct spelling and grammar matter when blogging?

Depends on how seriously you want to be taken when blogging. One thing I would add beyond spelling and grammar is that your points are backed up. If you just throw your opinion out on a lot of subjects, you will have more difficulty in ... more

Aug. 1, 2011

Robert Rapier and 1 other person answered this question

Why is hydraulic fracturing regulated differently in different states?

There is a very simple answer to this one. Different states have different attitudes toward numerous issues, including oil and gas production. In states like Texas or Oklahoma, where fracking has taken place for many years, people don't operate under the same sort of fear ... more

Hydraulic Fracturing

July 19, 2011

Robert Rapier and 2 other people answered this question

OPEC: Venezuela's oil reserves exceed Saudi Arabia's reserves. How will this affect oil markets?

It has been known for many years that the size of Venezuela's extra-heavy oil resource in the Orinoco Belt is far greater than Saudi Arabia's oil reserve. But a resource is not the same as a reserve. The total oil in place is a resource, ... more

Financial Markets

June 23, 2011

Robert Rapier answered this question at this roundtable

The Real Causes and Wider Macroeconomic Effects of High Gas Prices [6/20 @ 11 am]

Should we expect higher demand for gas this summer, or will we see a decline due to higher prices?

According to EIA data for June, average retail gasoline prices are $1.00 per gallon higher than for June 2010, yet demand is running slightly ahead of last year's level. Since it looks like gasoline prices have peaked for now and are declining, I expect gasoline ... more

June 20, 2011

Robert Rapier and 1 other person answered this question

Congress votes to end subsidies for ethanol. What effect will this have on gas prices?

First off, this vote does not end ethanol subsidies. This was a largely symbolic vote attached to a bill that is unlikely to pass. So the subsidies remain intact.
However, it is likely that ethanol subsidies will be scaled back or allowed to expire this year. ... more

June 8, 2011

Robert Rapier and 21 other people answered this question

As an interviewer, what is your favorite interview question?

I believe that past behaviors are a fairly reliable indicator of future behaviors, so my questions revolve around specific examples from the person's life. For example, describe a time that you made a serious mistake, and how did you resolve it? Or, "During a performance ... more

Human Resources

Applicant Screening

June 8, 2011

Robert Rapier and 3 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Biofuels in Africa [6/9 @ 8 am]

What is the food vs. fuel debate?

In a nutshell, there is a finite amount of arable land on the earth, and growing crops for biofuels means that there is less land for growing food. That is the debate.
We need both food and fuel, so we have to make sure that our ... more

Alternative Energy

June 1, 2011

Robert Rapier and 6 other people answered this question at this roundtable

Delivering Renewable Energy via Long Distance Transmission [6/3 @ 11 am]

What are the biggest obstacles to getting renewables to market?

As noted by others, profitability is the main problem. It is simply more expensive at present to harvest on an annual basis something nature stored up over millions of years. I agree that there will come a time that fossil fuels are so expensive that ... more

May 24, 2011

Robert Rapier and 3 other people answered this question

What are signs we have/haven't reached peak oil?

In reality, we won't know whether we have hit peak until several years of declines. But a combination of very high prices and little incremental production in response is a sign that something is afoot. At present, global production rates have been flat to slightly ... more

May 20, 2011

Robert Rapier and 12 other people answered this question

Who is really to blame for high gas prices: Big Oil, Saudi Arabia, speculators or supply?

That wasn't really what the report said; that was the misleading sound byte that left out a lot of very important pieces of information. I broke down what the report actually said by reading the parts that the Dems left out of the press releases: ... more

May 19, 2011

Robert Rapier and 2 other people answered this question

Is the trans Alaska pipeline system the solution to America's dependence on imported oil?

The graphic is highly misleading, and this is the sort of thing that causes people to believe that energy independence is closer than it actually is. The graphic compares the capacity of the pipeline with the amount of oil that Libya exports. First off, this ... more

May 17, 2011

Robert Rapier and 10 other people answered this question

Should Congress end tax breaks for oil companies?

The knee-jerk reaction would be that companies that are making handsome profits don't need subsidies. But this issue is more complex than that.
The question to ask is “What is the the subsidy supposed to accomplish, and what is the impact of removing it?” It ... more

Financial Markets

May 17, 2011

Robert Rapier is speaking at this roundtable

China's Energy Future and the Shale Gas Question

April 27, 2011

Robert Rapier answered this question

Post oil economy: will you still have a job?

I decided long ago that due to the world's insatiable demand for energy, a job in that sector would likely always be in demand. With a few rare exceptions, I have seen strong demand in the energy sector for 20 years, and I expect that ... more

April 27, 2011

Robert Rapier and 6 other people answered this question

How do you foresee your lifestyle changing when the era of cheap oil ends?

I think the era of cheap oil has already ended; we are just in denial about that. But with growing demand in developing countries and stagnant production, I don't think prices will fall permanently outside of a severe and sustained recession. Russia in fact just ... more

April 24, 2011

Robert Rapier answered this question

What is the purpose of crude oil benchmarking?

Whenever we buy or sell anything, it is important to know the value as dictated by the market. For instance, if I sell a house in Texas, the price will typically reflect the price of other similar homes. However, the price may be higher or ... more

Crude Oil Benchmarks

April 15, 2011

Robert Rapier is now following Kurt Cobb and 3 other people

April 15, 2011

Robert Rapier answered this question

What role does the conflict in Libya play in the recent spike in the price of oil?

I covered this issue briefly in a recent Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-gas-prices/2011/03/18.... In a nutshell, it isn't so much Libya, but the fear of unrest spreading that drove prices so high. However, there isn't a lot of excess oil production capacity in the world today, ... more

April 15, 2011

Robert Rapier and 8 other people answered this question

Which car is the most fuel efficient?

Ditto to what Karen said. Europe offers cars with much higher fuel efficiency than we get here in the U.S. The cars there are smaller, and more efficient diesel engines are prevalent. Just to give an idea of where things are headed there, Volkswagen has ... more

Automotive Industry

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