STATE OF THE ART OF NATURAL HYDROGEN EXPLORATION

Natural hydrogen is becoming a new source of energy for our future energetic mix. Its presence in the subsurface, known for a century, is only recently considered as interesting for the chemical, siderurgical and energy industry. After the pionneer works in Mali and more recently in Australia, all the continents present clear potential for this ressource. It is important to summarize the current state of knowledge of what is called a “hydrogen system”, consisting on an area of generation, a migration through the lithosphere with possible producible accumulations during its transit.

1. Training the attendees about the geology of hydrogen systems in different geological contexts: ophiolites, hydrothermal systems, cratonic areas, 
2. Present the tools which may be used for exploration, from surface surveys to geophysical methods and drillings,
3. Present the examples of hydrogen exploration in the world, focusing in the countries where the projects are more active (Mali, USA, Australia, Brazil, Europe, etc.).

This course presents a formal lecture about everything known at the time of the course about natural hydrogen, and an informal part, which may be either organized around round tables, or devoted to specific questions and/or locations of hydrogen exploration, which present interest for the attendees. 

No specific requirement for this course that can take place in any meeting room with validated HSE characteristics, in your company premises or elsewhere.

The course will consist on 2 sessions of 4 hours each, and will be presented in English. It is preferentially planned on two working days, and the afternoons may be devoted to round tables or specific discussions. It may be either presential or virtual. 

The sessions are:

1. The place of natural hydrogen in the manufactured hydrogen business: energy transition, world heterogeneity, hydrogen today, its uses in chemistry, its future use and growth as energy vector and source, price relations between manufactured and natural hydrogen,
2. Natural hydrogen systems and their geological knowledge: what we know (and has been studied) about natural hydrogen sources and their migration, reactivity, accumulation and leakage. Associated gases (methane, nitrogen, helium). Dynamic perception of a blend hydrogen system.

1. Exploration tools and natural hydrogen proxies: surface geochemistry, gamma spectrometry, remote sensing, active and passive seismic, magnetic anomalies, etc.
2. Examples of natural systems in the world: Mali, Australia, USA, Brazil, Europe, etc.,

2 days is the ideal time. The case can be shortened or lengthened according to the request.