Natural hydrogen

Summary

Natural hydrogen (known as white hydrogen, geologic hydrogen[1] or gold hydrogen), is hydrogen that is formed by natural processes[2][3] (as opposed to hydrogen produced in a laboratory or in industry). By contrast green hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources, while grey, brown, blue or black hydrogen are obtained from fossil fuels.[4] White hydrogen may be renewable. It is non-polluting and offers lower costs than industrial hydrogen.[5] Natural hydrogen has been identified in many source rocks in areas beyond the sedimentary basins where oil companies typically operate.[6][7]

Origins edit

Sources of natural hydrogen include:[8]

Reserves edit

According to the Financial Times, there are 5 trillion tons of natural hydrogen reserves worldwide.[10] A discovery in Russia in 2008 suggests the possibility of extracting native hydrogen in geological environments.[citation needed] Reserves have been identified in France,[11] Mali, the United States and approximately a dozen other countries.[12]

An accumulation of natural hydrogen was discovered in a water well in Bourakébougou, Mali, that was exploited to power the nearby village.[13] 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).[13] In 2024, a natural deposit of helium and hydrogen was discovered in Rukwa, Tanzania.[14]

Mid-continent Rift System edit

 
Mid-continental Rift System

White hydrogen could be found or produced in the Mid-continental Rift System at scale. Water could be pumped down to hot iron-rich rock to produce hydrogen for extraction.[15]

Geology edit

Natural hydrogen is generated from various sources. Many hydrogen emergences have been identified on mid-ocean ridges.[16] Serpentinisation occurs in the oceanic crust.

Diagenetic origin (iron oxidation) in the sedimentary basins of cratons, notably are found in Russia.

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.[17] New Caledonia has hyperalkaline sources that show hydrogen emissions.[18]

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,[19] the solubility decreases due to the highly assymetric nature of mixtures of hydrogen and water.

Literature edit

Vladimir Vernadsky originated the concept of natural hydrogen captured by the Earth in the process of formation from the post-nebula cloud. Cosmogonical aspects were anticipated by Fred Hoyle. From 1960-2010, V.N. Larin developed the Primordially Hydridic Earth concept[20][dubious ] that described deep-seated natural hydrogen prominence[21] and migration paths.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Geologists signal start of hydrogen energy 'gold rush'".
  2. ^ Larin V.N. 1975 Hydridic Earth: The New Geology of Our Primordially Hydrogen-Rich Planet (Moscow: Izd. IMGRE). (in Russian)
  3. ^ Truche, Laurent; Bazarkina, Elena F. (2019). "Natural hydrogen the fuel of the 21 st century". E3S Web of Conferences. 98: 03006. Bibcode:2019E3SWC..9803006T. doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20199803006. S2CID 195544603.
  4. ^ "Hydrogen color code". H2B.
  5. ^ La rédaction: Hydrogène naturel : une source potentielle d'énergie renouvelable. In: La Revue des Transitions. 7 November 2019, retrieved 17 January 2022 (in French).
  6. ^ 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. Bibcode:2016ChGeo.440..139D. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.06.011.
  7. ^ Gregory Paita, Master Thesis, Engie & Université de Montpellier.
  8. ^ Zgonnik, P. Malbrunot: L'Hydrogene Naturel. Hrsg.: AFHYPAC Association française pour l'hydrogène et les piles à combustible. August 2020, S. 8 p., p. 5 (in French).
  9. ^ "Our Earth". V. N. Larin, Agar, 2005 (in Russian)
  10. ^ "Geologists signal start of hydrogen energy 'gold rush'".
  11. ^ Paddison, Laura (2023-10-29). "They went hunting for fossil fuels. What they found could help save the world". CNN. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  12. ^ 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" (PDF). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 44 (12): 5676–5685. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.01.119. S2CID 104328822.
  13. ^ a b Alderman, Liz (December 4, 2023). "It Could Be a Vast Source of Clean Energy, Buried Deep Underground". New York Times.
  14. ^ "Helium One Itumbula West-1 records positive concentrations". 5 February 2024.
  15. ^ "The Potential for Geologic Hydrogen for Next-Generation Energy | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov.
  16. ^ L'hydrogène dans une économie décarbonée (connaissancedesenergies.org)
  17. ^ Gaucher, Éric C. (June 2020). "Une découverte d'hydrogène naturel dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques, première étape vers une exploration industrielle" [A natural hydrogen discovery in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, the first step towards industrial exploration]. Géologues, Société géologique de France (in French) (213). Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  18. ^ 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. S2CID 105839304.
  19. ^ Bali, Eniko; Audetat, Andreas; Keppler, Hans (2013). "Water and hydrogen are immiscible in Earth's mantle". Nature. 495 (7440): 220–222. Bibcode:2013Natur.495..220B. doi:10.1038/nature11908. PMID 23486061. S2CID 2222392.
  20. ^ V.N. Larin (1993). Hydridic Earth, Polar Publishing, Calgary, Alberta. https://archive.org/details/Hydridic_Earth_Larin_1993
  21. ^ Our Earth. V.N. Larin, Agar, 2005 (rus.) https://archive.org/details/B-001-026-834-PDF-060

Bibliography edit

  • Larin V.N. 1975 Hydridic Earth: The New Geology of Our Primordially Hydrogen-Rich Planet (Moscow: Izd. IMGRE) in Russian
  • V.N. Larin (1993). Hydridic Earth, Polar Publishing, Calgary, Alberta. Hydridic Earth: the New Geology of Our Primordially Hydrogen-rich Planet
  • Our Earth. V.N. Larin, Agar, 2005 (rus.) Наша Земля (происхождение, состав, строение и развитие изначально гидридной Земли)
  • 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. S2CID 197609243.
  • Gaucher, Éric C. (February 2020). "New Perspectives in the Industrial Exploration for Native Hydrogen". Elements: An International Magazine of Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Petrology. 16 (1): 8-9. Bibcode:2020Eleme..16....8G. doi:10.2138/gselements.16.1.8.
  • 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. 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. Bibcode:2016ChGeo.440..139D. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.06.011.
  • Gregory Paita, Master Thesis, Engie & Université de Montpellier.[title missing]
  • Moretti I., Pierre H. Pour la Science, special issue in partnership with Engie, vol. 485; 2018. p. 28. N march. Moretti I, D'Agostino A, Werly J, Ghost C, Defrenne D, Gorintin L. Pour la Science, special issue, March 2018, vol 485, 24 25XXII_XXVI.[title missing]
  • 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" (PDF). International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 44 (12): 5676–5685. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.01.119. S2CID 104328822.
  • 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. Bibcode:2015NRR....24..369L. doi:10.1007/s11053-014-9257-5. S2CID 128762620.
  • 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. Bibcode:2015PEPS....2...31Z. doi:10.1186/s40645-015-0062-5. S2CID 55277065.
  • 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. S2CID 105839304.
  • Zgonnik, Viacheslav (1 April 2020). "The occurrence and geoscience of natural hydrogen: A comprehensive review". Earth-Science Reviews. 203: 103140. Bibcode:2020ESRv..20303140Z. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103140. S2CID 213202508.
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  • Trégouët, René (17 July 2020). "L'hydrogène naturel pourrait devenir une véritable source d'énergie propre et inépuisable..." RT Flash (in French).
  • 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. Bibcode:2022FirBr..40j..78R. doi:10.3997/1365-2397.fb2022087. S2CID 252679963.