Characterizing H2 natural reservoirs At Rifted Margins

forthcoming

The ongoing energy transition requires new technologies and ingenuity to provide timely solutions. One major discovery in this direction is the production of hydrogen through natural processes. Hydrogen is a promising source of green energy, but our understanding of its natural formation is currently superficial. In particular, we need to quantify the potential hydrogen fluxes that occur during the formation of continental rifted margins, which make up half of the world's margins and extend hundreds of kilometres beneath the ocean. As these margins form, mantle rocks react with seawater to release hydrogen. However, accurately estimating this production is challenging due to the complexity of rifted margins, limited access to high-resolution data and difficulties in modelling the process. CH2ARM aims to estimate hydrogen fluxes resulting from serpentinization at two European continental rifted margins. The project leverages the applicant's expertise in seismic data and numerical modelling to achieve two main objectives: first, to map the occurrence of serpentinised mantle using a novel joint inversion of high-resolution seismic data sets; and second, to quantify hydrogen production rates through numerical modelling of fluid infiltration processes. By advancing the understanding of large-scale natural hydrogen production associated with serpentinisation, CH2ARM will provide critical insights for the exploration and potential future exploitation of natural hydrogen reservoirs as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.