Natural hydrogen wells (or "white" hydrogen) involve drilling to extract naturally occurring hydrogen gas trapped in underground geological formations, often produced by water-rock reactions (serpentinization). While potentially a massive, renewable energy source, current exploration faces high risks of dry wells, technical challenges with material corrosion (hydrogen embrittlement), and lack of commercial-scale extraction, with most findings still in experimental or early development stages. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Aspects of Natural Hydrogen Wells
• The Process: Natural hydrogen is produced through geothermal processes—principally the interaction of water with iron-rich minerals—generating hydrogen that rises and accumulates in reservoirs.
• Current State & Locations: As of early 2025, commercial-scale extraction is non-existent, though active exploration is occurring in the US, France, and Albania. The world's only known actively produced,, localized natural hydrogen well is in Bourakébougou, Mali, providing power to a local village.
• Exploration and Economics: While estimates suggest 5.6 trillion metric tons of hydrogen exist underground, accessing it is expensive and risky. Many wells may produce only trace amounts.
• Technical Challenges: Hydrogen embrittlement, where hydrogen causes steel casing and cement to become brittle, poses a high risk of leakage and failure.
• Potential Advantages:
• Renewable Source: Unlike oil, natural hydrogen forms on a human-relevant timescale, not just geological epochs.
• Low Carbon: It provides a zero-carbon emission fuel source.
• Geothermal Co-benefits: Wells can potentially tap into both hydrogen and geothermal energy simultaneously. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8]
Hydrogen in Depleted Oil WellsSome companies are exploring "gold" hydrogen, which involves treating abandoned, depleted oil wells with microbes to turn residual hydrocarbons into hydrogen, with successful initial tests suggesting a potential $1/kg production cost. [9]
Storage and InfrastructureWhile 90% of current gas storage is in porous media, hydrogen is currently stored only at a small scale, with salt caverns being the primary storage method being developed in Texas and Utah. [10]
AI responses may include mistakes.
[8] https://h2sciencecoalition.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-natural-or-geologic-hydrogen/
Henry McClure
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