The Catalyst Review January 2025 - 5

SPECIAL FEATURE
NATURAL (GEOLOGIC) HYDROGEN:
WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ITS POTENTIAL
By Aliaksei Patonia, Research Fellow, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Although hydrogen (H2) is the most abundant element in the universe, it has long been believed to exist only in
limited amounts as free gas on Earth, primarily forming complex compounds with other elements. As a result,
most of the hydrogen used in industrial and manufacturing applications must be produced and is mainly
derived from fossil fuels. Traditional methods of hydrogen production are associated with significant carbon
dioxide emissions, leading to efforts to find alternative forms of hydrogen that are less carbon-intensive. While
technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and renewable-powered electrolysis
are promising options for producing clean hydrogen, they remain considerably more expensive and are
implemented on a much smaller scale compared to conventional methods. Therefore, since low-carbon
hydrogen is often seen as the most viable alternative to replace fossil fuels in so-called " hard-to-abate " sectors, a
cost-effective alternative to conventionally manufactured H2 with comparable or lower carbon emissions could
potentially transform the industry and significantly advance the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
Recent discoveries of hydrogen in natural seeps and vents around the world (Figure 1), along with the first
successful commercial extraction of natural hydrogen from a well in Mali, have encouraged researchers,
entrepreneurs, and policymakers to reconsider the exploration of natural hydrogen. It seems that this area
may have been neglected due to a lack of focused research. If this hypothesis is accurate, future discoveries of
abundant native hydrogen could
meet global energy demands
for centuries2. In this scenario,
geological hydrogen that is
expected to be produced at
a cost below 1 USD/kg could
fundamentally change the
energy landscape and play a
crucial
role in achieving netzero
carbon targets (Table 1).
However, skepticism persists;
many experts contend that most
naturally occurring hydrogen
may not be commercially viable.
In
these
circumstances,
it
is
crucial to assess native hydrogen's
potential for decarbonization by
sorting the wheat from the chaff
- that is, to clarify what we know
and what we do not know about
natural hydrogen.
Figure 1. Reported occurrences of natural hydrogen in the world. 9
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT NATIVE HYDROGEN
Not all forms of naturally occurring hydrogen are economically viable
Among the three primary types of naturally occurring hydrogen on Earth - hydrogen as a dissolved gas,
hydrogen trapped in inclusions, and free hydrogen gas - only the latter is considered a potential economic
resource.6 Hydrogen found in inclusions or as adsorbed and dissolved gas typically indicates hydrogen that was
trapped during mineral formation or exists in very low concentrations. Currently, there are no commercially
viable technologies for efficiently extracting these forms of hydrogen (ibid). Therefore, only free hydrogen
gas trapped in geological formations is being considered for commercial exploration, as it can potentially be
extracted using established oil and gas production techniques.
The Catalyst Review
January 2025
5
The Catalyst Review January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Catalyst Review January 2025
