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Oman is set to be a new natural hydrogen hub: Singapore-based oil and gas company Rex International Holding has entered a joint study agreement with European hydrogen firm Helios Aragon to explore natural hydrogen in Oman, according to a press release (pdf). No further details or a timeline were provided on the studies.
What is natural hydrogen? Natural hydrogen – also known as geologic hydrogen – is believed to be produced deep underground through reactions between ultramafic and mafic rocks with anoxic water. It can be found in abundance in layers of continental and oceanic crusts, geysers, and hydrothermal systems, supplying vast amounts of net zero energy source.
What they said: “Oman is widely regarded as one of the more prospective countries for the near-term discovery of commercial quantities of natural hydrogen. The geology is considered optimal for large-scale hydrogen generation, which is evidenced by the multiple surface seeps, some of which are almost pure hydrogen,” Helios Aragon CEO Ian Munro said in the statement.
The UK is also interested: UK geotechnical firm Eden GeoPower received a grant from the US Department of Energy to conduct studies on Oman’s geologic hydrogen potential in February.
Other regional players are also exploring natural hydrogen: Morocco’s National Bureau for Hydrocarbons and Minerals signed an agreement with an unnamed Swiss company to conduct 3D seismic surveys in the Southern and Eastern parts of the country in a bid to quantify Morocco’s geologic hydrogen reserves last December.
