Hugh E. Harvey, Jr. ’74

PE Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Hugh E. Harvey, Jr., is known for applying horizontal drilling techniques to potash extraction and for developing the largest potash producing company in the United States.

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in mining in engineering in 1974, Harvey worked in copper ore mining in British Columbia. He returned to Mines for a master’s degree in petroleum engineering, which he received in 1980.

Harvey was intrigued by a then-novel technology called horizontal drilling. He formed a company that used the technology in fractured oil shale plays with some success. In 1994, he formed Intrepid Oil and Gas, LLC with Bob Jornayvaz. Harvey proposed using horizontal drilling to extract potash from a mine located in an oil field the company was developing near Moab, Utah, and it became the focus of their business efforts. By 2008, Intrepid Potash went public as the largest U.S. potash producer.

Harvey and his wife Michelle are among Mines’ most significant financial contributors. In 2009, their family foundation started the Harvey Scholars Program, which provides full tuition and fees plus study abroad, making more than 162 awards through 2022. He is a member of the Mines Foundation Board of Governors.

Awards

• Distinguished Achievement Medal, Colorado School of Mines
• Inaugural Tourmaline Award with his wife Michelle for outstanding philanthropic achievement, Colorado School of Mines Foundation

Charles F. Rand Memorial Gold Medal, Association of International Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers