White hydrogen is not a chimera, there are trillions of tons in the subsurface according to the latest geological model
Helios Aragón wants changes in the law to drill the first European well in Huesca

Until a few days ago, the most widely accepted idea was that we would hardly find natural hydrogen near the Earth's surface. Hydrogen requires much more specific geological conditions than oil or natural gas to appear naturally. And when it appears, it is consumed by microorganisms in the subsoil. According to the latest models, we were terribly wrong. Geologists now believe that hydrogen occurs naturally in large quantities under the ground, especially when certain iron-rich minerals react with water. That hydrogen can be found, mined, and used as a clean energy store if we look in the right places, with the right tools. The Colors of Hydrogen Hydrogen is the most common, simplest, and lightest element in the universe. Despite its abundance, it is not usually obtained directly, due to its high reactivity: it tends to combine with other elements to form compounds such as water (hydrogen and oxygen), hydrocarbons (hydrogen and carbon) and other organic and inorganic compounds. Unlike coal, oil, sunlight or nuclear power, hydrogen is not used as an energy source in itself, but to store, transport and release energy in a controllable and usable way. That is why it is said to be an energy vector. Amid a frantic search for alternative energies, hydrogen is being extracted in many ways, some cleaner than others. That is why it is classified by color, according to the raw material from which it is obtained and the carbon dioxide emissions associated with its extraction. From the most polluting to the most sustainable:

Black or brown hydrogen: This is extracted by gasifying coal, a process that transforms solid coal (usually coal and lignite) into a gas rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Grey hydrogen: This is extracted through natural gas reforming, a process that transforms methane and water vapor from the fossil fuel into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Yellow hydrogen: This is extracted from water by electrolysis, a process that breaks it down into oxygen and hydrogen, using electricity from the power grid.
Blue hydrogen: This is extracted from natural gas, but unlike grey hydrogen, the CO2 generated during the process is captured, used and stored instead of being released into the atmosphere.
Turquoise hydrogen: This is also extracted from natural gas, but through a process known as methane pyrolysis, which breaks down methane into hydrogen and solid coal instead of CO2, preventing the greenhouse gas from being emitted.
Pink hydrogen: This is extracted from water by electrolysis, but unlike yellow hydrogen, it uses electricity from nuclear power, so it is low in carbon.
Green hydrogen: It is also extracted from water by electrolysis, but unlike pink hydrogen, it uses electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind or hydroelectric energy), so it is low carbon and does not produce radioactive waste.

The most common and inexpensive type is grey, but the world is transitioning towards green hydrogen. It is the great commitment of the European Union, with Spain at the head of its production. We need green hydrogen to leave natural gas behind, but there's a problem: it's eight times more expensive. A New Color Climbs Positions A color is missing from the list above:

White or golden hydrogen: this is the hydrogen that is free in nature, which is formed by certain natural processes, such as the reaction of water to serpentinization processes in rocks of the oceanic crust, the decomposition of certain sedimentary rocks containing iron, natural electrolysis (called radiolysis) and the degassing of the Earth's mantle.

Until now, natural hydrogen was thought to be extremely rare. We knew that it can be found in some geological formations undissolved, but the quantities were expected to be minimal. And the extraction process, too complex and expensive to be worthwhile. Now, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) predicts that there are up to five trillion tons of natural hydrogen in the bowels of the Earth. With global demand for hydrogen projected at 500 million tons per year, there is enough natural hydrogen in the ground to meet thousands of years' worth of demand, according to Science. There's a catch: most of these reserves are probably inaccessible. However, a small part of it could be enough of an excuse to spark the white hydrogen gold rush, as it is cleaner than blue and cheaper than green. From Mali to the first European well in Spain [caption id="attachment_171223" align="aligncenter" width="1366"]

Image: Helios Aragón[/caption] The researchers believe we'll start by extracting natural hydrogen from shallow accumulations — impermeable layers of iron-rich rock a kilometer or two from the surface. We could inject water into the rock to stimulate production. As we collect the hydrogen, we could harness the geothermal energy of the heated water rising to the surface. And if carbon dioxide dissolves in the injected water, it could react with the magnesium and calcium in iron-rich rocks and become permanently trapped in the form of limestone. It's a two-for-one: producing hydrogen and capturing CO2 at the same time. South Australia is a great place to look. The state sits on a block of cratonized crust known as the Gawler Craton, whose iron and uranium mines could lead us to the rocks needed for the serpentinization and radiolysis of hydrogen. Other findings may be serendipitous. In Bourakébougou, a village in Mali, a water well was dug and a mysterious gas began to emanate. They were standing in a mine of between 46 and 260 million tons of white hydrogen. In Lorraine, France, they were looking for methane when they found a large pocket of natural hydrogen that could be turned into a more profitable well. A Spanish company wants to get ahead of the curve. In the foothills of the Pyrenees are iron-rich marine rocks that rose when the Iberian plate collided with France, closing the ocean between the two 65 million years ago. The company Helios Aragón (a subsidiary of British Petroleum and Axion) believes that faults in the area channel hydrogen from the depths into a layer of porous sandstone at shallow depths, covered by dense shale. Helios wants to start prospecting for hydrogen this year from 2029, provided that the supposed pocket of gas it is looking for exists. The project is based on a 1963 survey that found natural hydrogen in Monzón (Huesca). The National Petroleum Company of Aragon was lagging behind crude oil when it found white hydrogen at a depth of 3.7 kilometers. Helios plans to carry out a deep survey between the A-22 motorway and the Zaragoza-Lleida railway, on the alluvial of the Cinca River, but does not have environmental authorisation. The company obtained a permit to search for hydrocarbons in 2020. However, the 2021 Climate Law banned the activity. Caution seems to be a good way to approach this issue. Accessing geological hydrogen could require fracturing layers of rock, such as controversial fracking. Even so, Helios expects mining regulations to "catch up" and cover the exploitation of hydrogen from 2024. Ian Munro, the firm's CEO, believes that once the legal aspect is resolved, the Monzón well will be the first to produce natural hydrogen in Europe. Helios will invest 900 million euros and expects to cover expenses starting at 60 cents per kilogram. Green hydrogen costs more than €2 per kilo. Main Imagen | Pxhere SOURCE: Xataka

Original Article in Spanish:

Acabamos de descubrir hidrógeno natural para varios siglos bajo tierra. Y hay quien busca extraerlo del Pirineo aragonés (xataka.com)

We Have Just Discovered Natural Hydrogen for Several Centuries Underground. And There Are Those Who Seek to Extract It From the Aragonese Pyrenees