Earth's Hidden Hydrogen: The Next Energy Gold Rush?

A drill bit cuts through French soil in the country's northeast, but this isn't your typical energy extraction. The target isn't oil or natural gas—it's hydrogen. Not the kind manufactured in industrial facilities, but hydrogen that Earth has been brewing in its depths for millions of years.

This is "white" or "gold" hydrogen, and it's capturing attention as the next frontier in clean energy.

The Color-Coded World of Hydrogen

The hydrogen industry uses colors like a chemical rainbow to describe different production methods. "Gray" and "blue" hydrogen come from burning fossil fuels, with blue incorporating carbon capture technology. "Green" hydrogen splits water using renewable electricity. And now "white" hydrogen—nature's own production—is entering the conversation.

The appeal is obvious: natural hydrogen costs nothing to make since geological processes already did the work. It emits zero carbon dioxide and requires minimal processing. The challenge? Finding it and getting it out of the ground.

Earth's Underground Hydrogen Factories

Natural hydrogen forms through two main geological processes. The first, called serpentinization, occurs when water meets iron-rich ultramafic rocks, releasing hydrogen gas. This happens worldwide, from ocean ridges to North America's Midcontinent Rift—a band of rocks stretching from Minnesota through the Lake Superior region down toward Kansas.

The second process, thermogenic hydrogen formation, takes place in deep sedimentary basins where organic material decomposes under extreme heat—roughly 480 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit. These reactions produce hydrogen alongside other gases like methane and nitrogen.

Because these processes unfold over millions of years, natural hydrogen requires far less energy input than artificial methods. Electrolysis, for comparison, consumes about 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram of hydrogen—enough to power an average home for a day or two.

The Hunt for Underground Gold

Researchers are adapting oil and gas exploration techniques to locate hydrogen deposits. They're focusing on three types of geological formations.

Focused seepage areas allow hydrogen to naturally escape through cracks and faults. But once hydrogen reaches the surface, it disperses quickly, making large-scale capture difficult.

Coal beds can bind hydrogen to coal layers, offering higher potential density but creating extraction challenges. The hydrogen must first separate from coal, then flow through tight rock layers to reach extraction points.

Reservoir-trap-seal systems—similar to formations that contain natural gas—are considered most promising for commercial production. These structures can concentrate large volumes of hydrogen in well-defined, drillable formations. However, they remain largely unproven in practice.

Massive Reserves, Uncertain Recovery

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates more than 5 trillion metric tons of geological hydrogen could exist underground worldwide. Only a fraction would be technically and economically recoverable, but even 2% of that total exceeds all proven natural gas reserves on the planet—enough to meet projected hydrogen demand for the next 200 years.

Yet Earth naturally produces only 15 to 31 million metric tons of hydrogen annually—less than 1% of expected 2050 demand. And only a fraction of that natural production could be efficiently captured.

One Village's Success Story

Currently, only one location commercially produces natural hydrogen: Mali's Bourakébougou village. This small operation generates tens of tons annually, powering the entire village. It's a modest scale, but proof of concept.

The number of companies exploring natural hydrogen has surged from roughly 10 in 2020 to about 40 by late 2023. Exploration is concentrated in the United States, Australia, Canada, and several European countries.

In Kansas, HyTerra's Nemaha Project has confirmed subsurface concentrations exceeding 90% hydrogen with 3% helium. Higher concentrations mean more efficient and cost-effective recovery.

Technical Reality Check

Transforming geological hydrogen into commercial energy presents formidable challenges. Hydrogen's small molecular size and reactivity with rock elements make underground detection and measurement difficult.

When hydrogen occurs in low concentrations mixed with other gases, separation and purification costs can become prohibitively expensive. The economics only work with high-quality deposits.

The Economic Promise

Natural hydrogen's appeal lies in its simplicity. Early estimates suggest extraction costs could be one-tenth of traditional hydrogen production methods—possibly even less.

But these figures are based on small-scale discoveries and may not represent future large-scale performance. Meeting commercial demand requires discovering substantial, high-quality accumulations.

Not a Gold Rush

As one leading research group noted, "This is not a gold rush." It's careful exploration for scientific evidence that could eventually lead to an abundant, carbon-free energy source complementing other renewables.

The timeline remains uncertain. Current exploration is still in early stages, with most projects focused on proving reserves rather than commercial extraction.