A helium reservoir in fractured basement
In 2011, a borehole targeting nickel unexpectedly discovered gas. The gas flowed from the hole with such force that it reportedly ‘screamed like a jet engine’ for four days until…
New Gas
If there was a hydrogen market, geological storage would not be the bottleneck
To balance intermittent renewable energy generation with grid demand, green hydrogen can be produced and stored in the subsurface at times of surplus energy generation, and subsequently used to supplement…
Estimates of trapped hydrogen globally – a reality check
Over the last few years, there has been a continuous stream of news coverage on “ground-breaking natural-hydrogen discoveries.” A paper by Ellis and Gelman, published late last year, very much…
HyTerra hits hydrogen – but will it be like a soda going flat?
Natural hydrogen exploration is currently a hot topic, but few companies have advanced from initial exploration to the drilling stage. HyTerra is one notable exception. This week, the company drilled…
Hydrogen exploration potential in Uruguay
Uruguay has completed the first phase of its energy transition; most electricity is now generated from renewable sources. For the second phase, the country has identified green hydrogen and its…
Iran to finally start producing helium
Redrawn after IHS Energy and Google Earth. Iran is set to join the exclusive group of helium-producing countries. With the launch of its pilot project to extract and purify helium…
Large hydrogen seep found in the Philippines
The natural gas seeps at Mount Chimaera in Turkey have been known since antiquity. They are easily recognisable due to the constant burning of methane and hydrogen gas that seeps…
New hydrogen prospectivity map released for the USA
“For decades, the conventional wisdom was that naturally occurring hydrogen did not accumulate in sufficient quantities to be used for energy purposes,” says Sarah Ryker, United States Geological Survey (USGS)…
Can Oman engineer a subsurface hydrogen kitchen?
Exploration for geological hydrogen has taken off over the past few years. However, nothing close to a major success case has been reported yet. Companies such as Gold Hydrogen in…
Play-based exploration methods used to find natural hydrogen
Ophiolites, consisting of obducted oceanic crust, form a logical candidate to explore for hydrogen because the process of serpentinization, which is common in olivine-rich rocks, results in the generation of…
Helium-3 – Should we go to the Moon to get it, or to Australia?
Helium has two stable isotopes: Helium-4 (4He), which makes up 99.9998% of helium on Earth, and helium-3 (3He), present in absolute trace amounts. Whereas 4He forms continuously as a result…
Helium found in new and unexpected places
In Finland, 80 Mile positively tested copper-zinc exploration boreholes, while Pulsar Helium has drilled an appraisal well in Minnesota after nickel exploration accidentally found helium. In South Africa, Renergen is…