Natural Hydrogen

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 enough natural hydrogen exists to meet humanity's demand for hydrogen for thousands of years; however, most of this 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 well of natural hydrogen has been exploited, which generates gas to produce electricity for a village in Mali, but exploration and research projects are taking place in many countries around the world.

Wladimir Nikolajewitsch 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 around 25 per cent hydrogen concentration.^[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]

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 was 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 possibilities of exporting the 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]

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 London in 2025^[14] and the Leopoldina German National Academy of Sciences in 2026^[15].

Natural hydrogen is molecular hydrogen present on Earth that is formed by natural processes, as opposed to hydrogen created by scientists 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 needs to be produced.^[23]

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

• primordial H2, present at the creation of the solar system in the Earth's mantle or even its core, (per Larin et al. and Zgonnik, 2020)^[5][24] degassing over time^[4]
• reaction of water with ultrabasic rocks (serpentinisation)^[5]
• natural water radiolysis^[5]
• biological activity^[25]
• weathering – water in contact with freshly exposed rock surfaces^{[citation needed]}
• decomposition of hydroxyl ions in the structure of minerals^{[citation needed]}
• decomposition of organic matter^{[citation needed]}

Many hydrogen emergences 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 radiolysis (natural electrolysis) 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 as solubility generally increases with pressure. However, at greater depths and pressures, such as within the mantle, the solubility decreases due to the highly asymmetric nature of mixtures of hydrogen and water. ^[29]

Modelling suggests that enough natural hydrogen exists to meet humanity's demand for hydrogen for thousands of years; however, most of this 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 total in the village of Bourakebougou in Mali, with only one being used to produce the electricity.^[9] This one produces around 50,000 cu ft (1,400 m³) per day, which provides power for its 1,500 inhabitants.^[23] As of 2026^[update] 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]

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 Mid-continental Rift System that runs down the middle of North America. Water could be pumped down to hot iron-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 through a carbon-negative pathway and has been referred to as "orange" hydrogen.^[39] In 2023 Pironon and de Donato announced the discovery of a deposit they estimated to be some 46 million to 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, were 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 under way 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]

• Pure-play helium
• Electrofuel
• Hydrogen economy
• Hydrogen production
• Combined cycle hydrogen power plant
• Hydrogen fuel cell power plant
• List of geology journals

• Lopez-Lazaro, Cristina; Bachaud, Pierre; Moretti, Isabelle; Ferrando, Nicolas (2019). "Predicting the phase behavior of hydrogen in NaCl brines by molecular simulation for geological applications". BSGF – Earth Sciences Bulletin 190: 7. doi:10.1051/bsgf/2019008. 
• Gaucher, Éric C. (February 2020). "New Perspectives in the Industrial Exploration for Native Hydrogen". Elements 16 (1): 8–9. doi:10.2138/gselements.16.1.8. Bibcode: 2020Eleme..16....8G. 
• Gaucher, Éric C.; Moretti, I.; Gonthier, N.; Pélissier, N.; Burridge, G. (June 2023). "The place of natural hydrogen in the energy transition: A position paper.". European Geologist Journal (55). doi:10.5281/zenodo.8108239. https://zenodo.org/record/8108239. Retrieved August 17, 2023. 
• 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. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.06.011. Bibcode: 2016ChGeo.440..139D. 
• Moretti I., Pierre H. Pour la science (fr), Special issue on natural hydrogen, in partnership with Engie, vol. 485; March 2018.
• 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". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 44 (12): 5676–5685. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.01.119. https://hal-univ-pau.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02187461/file/2019_Prinzhofer_moretti_al (1).pdf. 
• Larin, Nikolay; Zgonnik, Viacheslav; Rodina, Svetlana; Deville, Eric; Prinzhofer, Alain; Larin, Vladimir N. (September 2015). "Natural Molecular Hydrogen Seepage Associated with Surficial, Rounded Depressions on the European Craton in Russia". Natural Resources Research 24 (3): 369–383. doi:10.1007/s11053-014-9257-5. Bibcode: 2015NRR....24..369L. 
• Zgonnik, Viacheslav; Beaumont, Valérie; Deville, Eric; Larin, Nikolay; Pillot, Daniel; Farrell, Kathleen M. (December 2015). "Evidence for natural molecular hydrogen seepage associated with Carolina bays (surficial, ovoid depressions on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, Province of the USA)". Progress in Earth and Planetary Science 2 (1): 31. doi:10.1186/s40645-015-0062-5. Bibcode: 2015PEPS....2...31Z. 
• 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. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.08.193. Bibcode: 2018IJHE...4319315P. 
• Zgonnik, Viacheslav (1 April 2020). "The occurrence and geoscience of natural hydrogen: A comprehensive review". Earth-Science Reviews 203. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103140. Bibcode: 2020ESRv..20303140Z. 
• Prinzhofer, Alain; Deville, Éric (2015). Hydrogène naturel, la prochaine révolution énergétique. Humensis. ISBN 978-2-410-00335-2. OCLC 1158938704. 
• Moretti, Isabelle (22 May 2020). "L'hydrogène naturel: curiosité géologique ou source d'énergie majeure dans le futur ?" (in fr). Connaissance des énergies. https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/tribune-actualite-energies/lhydrogene-naturel-curiosite-geologique-ou-source-denergie-majeure-dans-le-futur. 
• Trégouët, René (17 July 2020). "L'hydrogène naturel pourrait devenir une véritable source d'énergie propre et inépuisable..." (in fr). RT Flash. https://www.rtflash.fr/l-hydrogene-naturel-pourrait-devenir-veritable-source-d-energie-propre-et-inepuisable/article. 
• Rigollet, Christophe; Prinzhofer, Alain (2022). "Natural Hydrogen: A New Source of Carbon-Free and Renewable Energy That Can Compete with Hydrocarbons". First Break 40 (10): 78–84. doi:10.3997/1365-2397.fb2022087. Bibcode: 2022FirBr..40j..78R. 
• Osselin, F., Soulaine, C., Faugerolles, C., Gaucher, E.C., Scaillet, B., and Pichavant, M., 2022, Orange hydrogen is the new Green: Nature Geoscience.
• Erlach, Berit; Borgmann, Miriam; Achtziger-Zupančič, Peter; Fischedick, Manfred; Klitzke, Peter; Pittel, Karen; Renn, Jürgen; Zwaan, Frank (April 2026). Geological hydrogen — an overlooked energy source?. Germany: acatech, Leopoldina, Akademienunion. doi:10.48669/esys_2026-1. https://energiesysteme-zukunft.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Publikationen/Weisser_Wasserstoff/Englisch/ESYS_Discussion_Paper_Natural_hydrogen.pdf. Retrieved 2026-04-19. 

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