Natural hydrogen research and exploration is gathering momentum within Australia and overseas. Geological surveys, research institutions and private companies around the world are undertaking geoscientific studies that aim to find and characterise places of natural hydrogen seepage. Early studies of Australia’s potential for natural hydrogen show promising results, with significant production rates estimated from water radiolysis, mafic-ultramafic and granitic rocks, and serpentinisation of ultramafic-mafic rocks. With the continuing development of hydrogen strategies and resource estimates, we will be able to fully assess the contribution natural hydrogen could have on the global low-carbon economy.
A major potential pathway for hydrogen production is serpentinisation, which involves the hydrolysis of magnesium and iron-rich (ultramafic) minerals such as olivine to serpentine, brucite, and magnetite. While hydrogen is considered an important part of this process, continued studies are needed to assess the precise mechanism of hydrogen production, whether hydrogen is produced in exploitable quantities and what engineered approaches are needed to tap into this resource. As part of this investigation, early field research is underway to assess hydrogen occurrences above known mineral prospects, focusing on geological characteristics and processes with high hydrogen generation potential. These field studies focus on serpentinite formations such as the Coolac Serpentinite of the Tumut region and known iron ore rich areas in Far West NSW. Results from these field studies will inform ongoing site studies and support comprehensive laboratory-based investigations assessing the core mechanisms of hydrogen generation in serpentinite systems.