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USGS releases first map of potential for geologic hydrogen in US

The US Geological Survey (USGS) published the first map of the prospective locations of naturally-occurring geologic hydrogen resources in the contiguous United States, reflecting a systematic analysis of geologic conditions favorable for hydrogen that draws on a newly developed methodology.

The map is the first of its kind at continental scale anywhere, showing likely underground areas to explore for geologic hydrogen. It reveals areas of interest that have the potential to hold accumulations of geologic hydrogen, including a mid-continent region that covers Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan; the Four Corners states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah; the California coast; and areas along the Eastern seaboard.

For decades, the conventional wisdom was that naturally occurring hydrogen did not accumulate in sufficient quantities to be used for energy purposes. This map is tantalizing because it shows that several parts of the US could have a subsurface hydrogen resource after all.

—Sarah Ryker, USGS associate director for energy and minerals

IMG_1285

Map showing prospectivity of geologic hydrogen in the conterminous United States.


In a recent paper (earlier post), USGS geologists Geoff Ellis and Sarah Gelman estimated large potential for—and large uncertainty about—the amount of hydrogen accumulations in the world. The two researchers calculated the energy content of this estimated recoverable amount of hydrogen to be roughly twice the amount of energy in all the proven natural gas reserves on Earth.

However, the model makes no predictions about how or where this hydrogen is distributed in the subsurface. The authors note that much of it is likely too deep, too far offshore or in accumulations too small to be economically recoverable.

We showed there is a significant potential for geologic hydrogen as an emerging energy resource. The next logical step was to find where it might be in the United States—and for that, we had to develop a methodology, which we applied first to the lower 48 states.

—Sarah Gelman

The new USGS prospectivity map does just that, assessing which regions have the necessary geological conditions—hydrogen sources, reservoir rocks, and seals to trap the gas—for hydrogen accumulation. The map assigns relative prospectivity values from 0 to 1, and areas with higher values (deep blue on the map) are more prospective—i.ee, likelier to contain geologic hydrogen accumulations than areas with lower values.

The map, which will continue to be updated as science and exploration progress, is an important first step in understanding a resource with potential to be a significant future energy resource for the US.

The USGS has a long history of providing resource assessments for oil and gas and is evaluating potential emerging resources that would enable states, industry and the nation to add to and diversify energy portfolios. While there remains considerable uncertainty about the extent to which geologic hydrogen can contribute to meeting future energy demand, it has the potential to provide low-cost feedstock for critical chemicals and help decarbonize the energy sector.

Comments

Jer

The key, of course, will to create a stream-lined and rational testing, permitting, and exploiting system that allow assessment and access well in advance of the multi-years and decades otherwise for typical mining operations. Now, that we live in a time of positive and pro-active use of the Earth's bounty, as a primary and fundamental source for human growth and civilization, we can trust that first-world sources will be accepted parts of each communities' income and prosperity -dig, baby, dig.

Jer

Surprisingly, and undeclared on this Map, is the progress already being undertaken in the Alaskan panhandle (including BC) for this so-called White Hydrogen. Granite Creek and ArpaE, and now Cornell U, are already accessing data from recently acquired claims and some borehole data there since the Fall of 2024 (BC even earlier). We anticipate positive g-H2 news in areas already cored and assessed for other metals in the coming months.

Roger Pham

Geologic Hydrogen is objectionable because it will react with Oxygen to produce more water, just when the Earth is having the problem of melting glacier that causes rising sea level that will eventually if not already threaten coastal cities with flooding. Having excess of water on the Earth is no better than having an excess of CO2 that is causing global warming, climate change and rising sea level.

Sustainability cannot come from continual mining stuffs out from under the ground. Sustainability can only come from recycling what we already have above the ground.
The run-away extreme global warming of the planet Venus was due to the positive feedback of initial heat causing release of CO2 and O2 ( which reacted to the methane to form CO2) from subsurface rocks which added to the atmosphere and making the atmosphere thicker and thicker and retain much more heat. The pressure on the surface of Venus is 92 times that of Earth, while the temperature is 464 dgr C or 867 dgr F.

Run-away global warming on the Earth will come from release of CO2 from the ocean limestone through acidification, methane release from permafrost, and more water vapor in the air as the result of higher temperature...etc...and we don't have much more time before reaching the point of no return, i.e. run-away global warming on the Earth. Mr. Musk better hurry up to perfect his Starship rocket for Mars.

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