SURF'HY: Applications of Surface Technologies to Natural Hydrogen Exploration

SAVE THE DATE! This workshop will take place in Rueil -Malmaison, a town steeped in Napoleonic history, located in the outskirts of Paris.

Theme :

Natural hydrogen resource exploration is now underway, with over 40 companies active in the field and more than a dozen wells drilled globally to date.  Although the subject is still quite nascent, concepts for a natural hydrogen system (or systems) that can generate hydrogen resources are maturing.  These concepts are readily applied to mappable geologic features that can be utilized to identify prospective locations for natural hydrogen resource exploration.  A logical next step in an exploration program is to acquire data that can indicate the possible presence of a viable hydrogen system in the subsurface at a prospective site.  Just as the identification of surface seeps was an important tool in early petroleum exploration, this approach will almost certainly be an important component of initial hydrogen exploration strategies as well.  This is demonstrated by the growing number of research groups that are starting to conduct field sampling of soil gases in search of natural hydrogen.  While measurements of hydrogen gas concentrations in soils, in and of themselves, can be informative, there are challenges and complexities.  Furthermore, given the large number of potential sources of natural hydrogen in soils, concentration data on their own have limited applicability in guiding natural hydrogen resource exploration.  Additional geochemical parameters, such as the molecular and isotopic (bulk and clumped) composition of hydrocarbon gases, carbon dioxide, and noble gases, have the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the source of hydrogen in soils and possible connections to subsurface resources.  Studies of water chemistry and soil microbiology have the potential to further enhance our understanding of surface observations and the relation to subsurface resources.  Moreover, remote sensing techniques have can survey large areas efficiently to identify locations for further detailed studies.

This workshop will bring together experts in the fields of geology, geochemistry, analytical chemistry, microbiology, and remote sensing to discuss the challenges and opportunities for research and development of surface technologies that can effectively be applied to natural hydrogen exploration.  The objective is to develop a series of recommendations for best practices and research priorities that will advance the science of natural hydrogen exploration and promote the development of this promising low-carbon energy resource.

Organization Info

Registration is now open. To register, select TICKETS above. Attendance is open to in-person (limited to 80) or virtual

Options for Poster or Oral presentations are available to participants, if they wish to make one.

Breakfast, coffee breaks and Lunches will be provided on IFPEN's grounds, above the auditorium. A cocktail dinner will be organized in the heart of Rueil-Malmaison, at Restaurant Le Sapristi, at a 10 mn walking distance from IFPEN.

Scientific Comitee :

Geoffrey Ellis, Chris Ballentine, Tom Darrah, Giuseppe Etiope,  Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, Olivier Sissmann

Abstract submission :

Abstract submissions are now closed

Program :

Thursday November 28, 2024

08:30 - 09:30 Arrival, Meet & Greet, and Coffee

09:30 - 09:40 Welcome and Opening Remarks ELLIS/SISSMANN

Surface geochemistry applied to hydrogen exploration (Chair: SISSMANN)

09:40 - 10:10 KEYNOTE - Surface gas geochemical exploration of natural hydrogen: Uncertainties and holistic approach ETIOPE

10:10 - 10:30 Surface geochemistry applied to natural hydrogen exploration: An industry perspective DARRAH

10:30-10:50 Outtakes From recent surface geochemical surveys: Soil Sampling and measurement of interstitial hydrogen CLAVAREAU

10:50 - 11:10 Break: Coffee

11:10 - 11:30 Optimizing natural hydrogen seepage detection: A comparative study of pumped and passive autonomous monitoring systems DAVIES

11:30 - 11:50 Insights from H2 soil gas measurements at various depths MORETTI

11:50 - 12:20 Roundtable Discussion

12:20 - 13:30 Break: Lunch

Advanced sampling techniques (Chair: DARRAH)

13:30 - 13:50 How to qualify the quality of potential caprocks with soil gas measurements ? GAUCHER

13:50 - 14:10 Minimizing artifacts in natural hydrogen field sampling: Insights and best practices MOREIRA DOS SANTOS

14:10 - 14:30 Challenges of drilling in exploration for geologic H2: Specifically artificial H2 generated while drilling from oil and water-based muds STRAPOC

14:30 - 15:00 Roundtable Discussion

15:00 - 15:20 Break: Coffee

Geochemistry (Chair: ETIOPE)

15:20 - 15:50 KEYNOTE - Natural hydrogen in continental settings: Source rock, reservoir rock and surface technologies SHERWOOD-LOLLAR

15:50 - 16:10 Reduced and alkaline fluids degassing H2 and CH4 in the fractured Precambrian rocks of northern Minnesota SISSMANN

16:10 - 16:30 Promise and peril of bulk isotopes of H2 and associated gases ELLIS

16:30 - 16:50 Exploring clumped isotope signatures in natural gas systems: Insights from H₂ and CH₄ measurements MANGENOT

16:50 - 17:00 Roundtable Discussion

17:00 -18:30 Posters

19:00 - 21h30 Dinner at Sapristi

Friday November 29, 2024

08:30 - 09:30 Arrival, Meet & Greet, and Coffee

New Technologies (Chair: GAUCHER)

09:30 - 09:50 SysMoG™ probe for H2 prospecting PIEDEVACHE

09:50 - 10:10 IoT’s for long-term hydrogen monitoring in subsurface PEIGNARD

10:10 - 10:30 PARHyS System: measurement tool for H2 concentration in the shallow surface. ROSANNE

10:30 - 10:50 Enabling natural hydrogen exploration using a multi-gas monitoring instrument FRERY

10:50 - 11:20 Roundtable Discussion

11:20 - 11:40 Break: Coffee

11:40 - 12:30 Posters

12:30 - 13:30 Break: Lunch

Case Studies (Chair: BALLENTINE)

13:30 - 13:50 Unlocking new H2 potential sites in Mali: New data and preliminary studies from a newly discovered well drilled and cemented since 1987 MAIGA

13:50 - 14:10 Soil geochemistry of hydrogen and other gases along the San Andreas Fault MATHUR

14:10 - 14:30 Natural hydrogen as a potential sustainable energy source: Exploration in Morocco using surface indicators and soil gas surveys ES-SABBAR

14:30 - 14:50 Surface geochemical results in the Holbrook Basin, Arizona USA STERLING

14:50 - 15:10 Break: Coffee

Integrated & regional perspectives (Chair: ELLIS)

15:10 - 15:30 Quantifying mantle-derived natural hydrogen in the crust BALLENTINE

15:30 - 15:50 A global synthesis of hydrogen play types SUTCLIFFE

15:50 - 16:10 Tectonic settings for natural hydrogen exploration CHENG

16:10 - 16:30 ARPA-E’s thrust on GeoH2 prospecting and resource characterization WICKS

16:30 - 17:00 Roundtable Discussion

17:00 - 17:15 Closing Remarks ELLIS/SISSMANN

Posters

Hydrogen-Eval: a new tool to assess the hydrogen window of organic matter, and to evaluate the H2 generation yield of iron bearing rocks BOUTON

Questoning magnetite key role on H2 generation yields during alteration of Fe-rich rocks GEYMOND

Sensors for H2 detection: Electrochemical sensors made in CSIRO JOSSE

Raman Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Materials: solid approach to study thermal history of hyperextended rifted margins, potential target of hydrogen resources LAHFID

Hydrogen seepage associated with Carolina Bays in the Eastern United States TURNER