Jump to content

Natural hydrogen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Natural hydrogen (also known as white hydrogen, geologic hydrogen, geogenic hydrogen, or gold hydrogen) is molecular hydrogen present on Earth that is formed by natural processes, as opposed to hydrogen produced in a laboratory or in industry. Modelling suggests that sufficient natural hydrogen exists to meet humanity's demand for thousands of years; however, most of it cannot be extracted economically. Natural hydrogen has been identified in many source rocks in areas beyond the sedimentary basins where oil companies typically operate. As of 2026, only one natural hydrogen well has been exploited, supplying gas to generate electricity for a village in Mali, but exploration and research projects are underway in many countries worldwide.

History

[edit]

Early theories and findings

[edit]

Vladimir N. Larin [de] developed the Primordially Hydridic Earth (PHE) concept in his 1975 work Hydridic Earth: The New Geology of Our Primordially Hydrogen-rich Planet (translated in 1993),[1][2] which suggests that hydrogen, which used to be abundant in the interior of the planet, played a vital role in the evolution of Earth,[3] and described a deep-seated natural hydrogen prominence.[4] However, modern geochemists have challenged the PHE theory, citing geochemical studies of known hydrogen fields that suggest crustal reactions between water and rocks, particularly serpentinisation and radiolysis, rather than any primordial origin.[5]

Samples taken from an oil well east of the town of Robe, South Australia in 1915 had a hydrogen concentration of around 25 per cent.[6] Also in South Australia in the 1930s, oil well drillers reported finding "vast amounts of high-purity hydrogen". At the time, it was viewed as a useless byproduct of the oil drilling industry, and no efforts were made to capture it.[7]

Mali (2012)

[edit]

In 1987, in the village of Bourakebougou[8][9] in the Koulikoro Region[10] of Mali, Africa, a worker attempted to light his cigarette next to a certain water well, and the well unexpectedly caught fire, and it was determined that the flames were produced by natural hydrogen seeping out of the well. A local petroleum company, Petroma Inc., was created in 2006. Working with international partners, it was found that the hydrogen existed as a gas. Exploration, research, and drilling were done, with a pilot project commencing in 2012.[8] Further international collaborations followed, and the company was renamed Hydroma in 2019. In 2021, Hydroma started working with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and has been exploring the possibility of exporting natural hydrogen to Germany.[8] Since 2012, the well has produced enough hydrogen to provide electricity for the whole village, with a slight increase in pressure after 11 years of operation, rather than declining, as with other conventional sources of oil and gas.[9]

Elsewhere (2020s)

[edit]

During the 2020s, interest in natural hydrogen has increased, and investments have been made to develop natural hydrogen wells in several countries.[11][7] The first H-NAT Summit, the first world summit on natural hydrogen, was held in Perth, Western Australia, as well as online, on 27-28 November 2023.[12] After the 2025 event in Paris, France, hosted more than 500 leaders from over 40 nationalities, the 2026 edition is to be held in November 2026.[13] Major international reviews of the topic were published by the Royal Society of London in 2025[14] and the Leopoldina German National Academy of Sciences in 2026[15].

Description and naming

[edit]

Natural hydrogen is molecular hydrogen present on Earth that is formed by natural processes, as opposed to hydrogen produced in a laboratory or in industry.[1][16] It is also known as white hydrogen,[17] geologic hydrogen,[18] geological hydrogen,[19] geogenic hydrogen,[20] or gold hydrogen.[21][6][22]

It is possible that natural hydrogen is a form of renewable energy, as the Earth may generate hundreds of millions of tons of it each year; however, more studies showing the rate of accumulation vs leakages need to be produced.[23]

Geology

[edit]

Natural hydrogen is generated from various sources. Sources of natural hydrogen may include:

Many hydrogen emissions have been identified on mid-ocean ridges.[26] Serpentinisation occurs frequently in the oceanic crust; many targets for exploration include portions of oceanic crust (ophiolites) which have been obducted and incorporated into continental crust. Aulacogens such as the Midcontinent Rift System of North America are also viable sources of rocks which may undergo serpentinisation.[27] Reactions between water and rocks in the earth's crust, particularly serpentinisation and radiolysis, rather than any primordial origin, have been posited as the most likely sources of natural hydrogen.[5]

Mantle hydrogen and hydrogen from water radiolysis or from bacterial activity are under investigation. In France, the Alps and Pyrenees are suitable for exploitation.[25] New Caledonia has hyperalkaline sources that show hydrogen emissions.[28]

Hydrogen is soluble in fresh water, especially at moderate depths in the Earth's crust, as solubility increases with pressure. However, at greater depths, temperatures and pressures, such as within the Earth's mantle, the solubility decreases due to the highly asymmetric nature of mixtures of hydrogen and water.[further explanation needed][29]

Current sources and projects

[edit]

Modelling suggests that sufficient natural hydrogen exists to meet humanity's demand for thousands of years; however, most of it cannot be extracted economically.[30][31] Natural hydrogen has been identified in many source rocks in areas beyond the sedimentary basins where oil companies typically operate.[32][33][34]

As of 2023, there were 25 wells in the village of Bourakebougou, Mali, of which only one was used to produce electricity.[9] This one produces around 50,000 ft3 (1,400 m3) per day, which provides power for its 1,500 inhabitants.[23] As of 2026 the Malian hydrogen well remains as the world's first and only economically successful hydrogen well.[6][7][35] H2 concentration is more than 95%.[36]

Mid-continental Rift System

According to the Financial Times, there are 5 trillion tons of natural hydrogen resources worldwide.[18] Resources have been identified in 10–15 countries, including France, US, Canada, eastern Europe, Russia, Australia, Oman, and Mali.[37][6][38] In France, petroleum company Française de l'Énergie has said that it aims to begin extracting hydrogen by 2027 or 2028.[11]

It was reported in 2018 that geologic hydrogen could be found or produced at scale in the Midcontinent Rift System that runs down the middle of North America. Water could be pumped down to hot iron(II)-rich rock to produce hydrogen for extraction.[27] Dissolving carbon dioxide in these fluids could allow for simultaneous carbon sequestration through carbonation of the rocks. The resulting hydrogen would be produced via a carbon-negative pathway and is referred to as "orange" hydrogen.[39] In 2023, Pironon and de Donato (University of Lorraine, Nancy, France) announced the discovery of a deposit in Lorraine (East of France), which they estimated at 46-260 million metric tons (several years' worth of 2020s production).[40]

In 2024, a natural deposit of helium and hydrogen was discovered in Rukwa, Tanzania,[41] as well in Bulqizë, Albania.[42] The longest record of natural hydrogen discharges sustained for up to ten years, with hydrogen concentrations up to 17% by volume, was discovered in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, from an active mine.[43][44][45]. The abundance of mines in rocks of hydrogen-producing potential around the world suggests these settings in Precambrian continental rock may be a novel source of economic hydrogen[46].

Exploration is underway in the mountains of Oman, where it is generated underground naturally.[21][47]

In South Australia, several companies have obtained exploration licences, including in the Otway Basin in the state's south-east. The company Gold Hydrogen have found hydrogen with a 97 per cent purity on the Yorke Peninsula, but its viability has yet to be proven.[6]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b V.N. Larin (1993). Hydridic Earth: The New Geology of Our Primordially Hydrogen-rich Planet, Polar Publishing, Calgary, Alberta. Translated and edited by C.W. Hunt from the 2nd Russian Edition of 1980, Polar Publishing, Calgary.
  2. ^ "Dr. V. Larin". Avalio. Archived from the original on 17 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  3. ^ Vidavskiy, Vitaly; Larin, Nikolay (29 March 2025). "Chapter 8 Natural hydrogen and the primordially hydridic earth concept". Natural Hydrogen Systems. De Gruyter. p. 239–266. doi:10.1515/9783111437040-008. ISBN 978-3-11-143703-3.
  4. ^ a b Our Earth. V.N. Larin, Agar, 2005. (in Russian).
  5. ^ a b c d e Moretti, Isabelle; Webber, M E (25 January 2021). "Natural hydrogen: a geological curiosity or the primary energy source for a low-carbon future?". Retrieved 1 June 2026 – via ResearchGate.
  6. ^ a b c d e Brine, Josh (31 May 2026). "Natural hydrogen potential like 'tripping over gold', SA minister says". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  7. ^ a b c Alderman, Liz (4 December 2023). "It Could Be a Vast Source of Clean Energy, Buried Deep Underground". nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  8. ^ a b c "About Us – Our History". Hydroma. 5 May 2026. Archived from the original on 31 March 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  9. ^ a b c Maiga, Omar; Deville, Eric; Laval, Jérome; Prinzhofer, Alain; Diallo, Aliou Boubacar (22 July 2023). "Characterization of the spontaneously recharging natural hydrogen reservoirs of Bourakebougou in Mali". Scientific Reports. 13 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38977-y. ISSN 2045-2322.
  10. ^ "Bourakébougou, Koulikoro Region, Mali". mindat.org. Archived from the original on 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  11. ^ a b 'It's on every continent' | Bill Gates-backed start-up drilling for natural hydrogen in the US Hydrogeninsight.com. By Rachel Parkes. July 20, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "1st Natural Hydrogen Worldwide Summit". Eurogeologists. 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  13. ^ "HNAT Summit – about". HNAT Summit. 12 March 2025. Archived from the original on 1 June 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  14. ^ "Natural hydrogen: future energy and resources | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  15. ^ "Leopoldina: Detail". www.leopoldina.org. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  16. ^ Truche, Laurent; Bazarkina, Elena F. (2019). "Natural hydrogen the fuel of the 21 st century". E3S Web of Conferences. 98: 03006. Bibcode:2019E3SWC..9803006T. doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20199803006. S2CID 195544603.
  17. ^ Farand, Chloe (24 July 2025). "The precious 'white gold' fuel buried in the Earth". BBC Home. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  18. ^ a b Cookson, Clive (18 February 2024). "Geologists signal start of hydrogen energy 'gold rush'". Financial Times.
  19. ^ Erlach, Berit; Borgmann, Miriam; et al. (April 2026). Geological hydrogen — an overlooked energy source? (PDF). Germany: acatech, Leopoldina, Akademienunion. doi:10.48669/esys_2026-1. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  20. ^ Pasche, Natacha; Schmid, Martin; et al. (2011). "Methane sources and sinks in Lake Kivu". Journal of Geophysical Research. 116 (G3). Bibcode:2011JGRG..116.3006P. doi:10.1029/2011JG001690.
  21. ^ a b Dinneen, James (31 January 2024). "The gold hydrogen rush: Does Earth contain near-limitless clean fuel?". New Scientist. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  22. ^ "What is gold hydrogen?". Greenly. 23 April 2024. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  23. ^ a b Pearce, Fred. "Natural Hydrogen: A Potential Clean Energy Source Beneath Our Feet". Yale E360. Archived from the original on 25 April 2026. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  24. ^ Zgonnik, P. Malbrunot: "L'Hydrogene Naturel". Hrsg.: AFHYPAC Association française pour l'hydrogène et les piles à combustible. August 2020, S. 8 p., p. 5 (in French).
  25. ^ a b Gaucher, Éric C. (June 2020). "Une découverte d'hydrogène naturel dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques, première étape vers une exploration industrielle" [A natural hydrogen discovery in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, the first step towards industrial exploration]. Géologues, Société géologique de France (in French) (213). Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  26. ^ L'hydrogène dans une économie décarbonée: Rapport de l'académie des technologies" (Report) (in French). 30 June 2020. p. 81 – via connaissancedesenergies.org. Il y a beaucoup d'émanations d'hydrogène sur le globe, connues depuis longtemps sur les rides médio-océaniques, en particulier grâce aux travaux de l'Ifremer...
  27. ^ a b "The Potential for Geologic Hydrogen for Next-Generation Energy". U.S. Geological Survey. 13 April 2023.
  28. ^ Prinzhofer, Alain; Tahara Cissé, Cheick Sidy; Diallo, Aliou Boubacar (October 2018). "Discovery of a large accumulation of natural hydrogen in Bourakébougou (Mali)". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 43 (42): 19315–19326. Bibcode:2018IJHE...4319315P. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.08.193. S2CID 105839304.
  29. ^ Bali, Eniko; Audetat, Andreas; Keppler, Hans (2013). "Water and hydrogen are immiscible in Earth's mantle". Nature. 495 (7440): 220–222. Bibcode:2013Natur.495..220B. doi:10.1038/nature11908. PMID 23486061. S2CID 2222392.
  30. ^ La rédaction. Hydrogène naturel : une source potentielle d'énergie renouvelable. In: La Revue des Transitions. 7 November 2019, retrieved 17 January 2022 (in French).
  31. ^ The Potential of Geologic Hydrogen for Next-Generation Energy USGS. By USGS Communications and Publishing Department. April 13, 2023. Accessed Nov. 22, 2024.
  32. ^ Deville, Eric; Prinzhofer, Alain (November 2016). "The origin of N2-H2-CH4-rich natural gas seepages in ophiolitic context: A major and noble gases study of fluid seepages in New Caledonia". Chemical Geology. 440: 139–147. Bibcode:2016ChGeo.440..139D. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.06.011.
  33. ^ Gregory Paita, Master Thesis, Engie & Université de Montpellier.
  34. ^ Hassanpouryouzband, Aliakbar; Wilkinson, Mark; Haszeldine, R Stuart (2024). "Hydrogen energy futures – foraging or farming?". Chemical Society Reviews. 53 (5): 2258–2263. doi:10.1039/D3CS00723E. hdl:20.500.11820/b23e204c-744e-44f6-8cf5-b6761775260d. PMID 38323342.
  35. ^ Maiga, Omar; Deville, Eric; Laval, Jérome; Prinzhofer, Alain; Diallo, Aliou Boubacar (22 July 2023). "Characterization of the spontaneously recharging natural hydrogen reservoirs of Bourakebougou in Mali". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 11876. Bibcode:2023NatSR..1311876M. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38977-y. PMC 10363119. PMID 37481587.
  36. ^ Guélard, J.; Beaumont, V.; Rouchon, V.; Guyot, F.; Pillot, D.; Jézéquel, D.; Ader, M.; Newell, K. D.; Deville, E. (2017). "Natural H2 in Kansas: Deep or shallow origin?". Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. 18 (5): 1841–1865. Bibcode:2017GGG....18.1841G. doi:10.1002/2016GC006544. ISSN 1525-2027.
  37. ^ Paddison, Laura (29 October 2023). "They went hunting for fossil fuels. What they found could help save the world". CNN. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  38. ^ Prinzhofer, Alain; Moretti, Isabelle; Françolin, Joao; Pacheco, Cleuton; D'Agostino, Angélique; Werly, Julien; Rupin, Fabian (March 2019). "Natural hydrogen continuous emission from sedimentary basins: The example of a Brazilian H2-emitting structure" (PDF). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 44 (12): 5676–5685. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.01.119. S2CID 104328822.
  39. ^ Osselin, F., Soulaine, C., Faugerolles, C., Gaucher, E.C., Scaillet, B., and Pichavant, M., 2022, "Orange hydrogen is the new Green". Nature Geoscience.
  40. ^ Alderman, Liz (4 December 2023). "It Could Be a Vast Source of Clean Energy, Buried Deep Underground". New York Times.
  41. ^ "Helium One Itumbula West-1 records positive concentrations". 5 February 2024.
  42. ^ "Will Albania's Huge White Hydrogen Deposit Change the Clean Energy Game? - H2 News". 7 March 2024.
  43. ^ "Chemical & Engineering News". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  44. ^ Bassi, Margherita. "This Canadian Mine Might Release Enough Natural Hydrogen Each Year to Power 400 Homes, Hinting at an Untapped Source of Clean Energy". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  45. ^ Sherwood Lollar, Barbara; Warr, Oliver (26 May 2026). "Decadal record of continental H2 reservoirs reveals potential for subsurface microbial life and natural H2 exploration". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 123 (21) e2603895123. doi:10.1073/pnas.2603895123. PMC 13214031. PMID 42150068.
  46. ^ "Natural hydrogen: future energy and resources | Royal Society". royalsociety.org. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  47. ^ Mathur, Yashee; Awosiji, Victor; Mukerji, Tapan; Scheirer, Allegra Hosford; Peters, Kenneth E. (2024). "Soil geochemistry of hydrogen and other gases along the San Andreas fault". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 50. Elsevier BV: 411–419. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.09.032. ISSN 0360-3199.

Further reading

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Natural_hydrogen&oldid=1361217853"