The US Geological Survey has released its first map identifying key regions in the US with the potential to contain geologic hydrogen deposits, the agency said Jan. 16.

This map is the first of its kind on a continental scale to highlight potential underground areas for geologic hydrogen exploration, according to the USGS. It identifies regions with the potential to contain geologic hydrogen deposits, including the Midcontinent areas of Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Michigan, the Four Corners states (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah), the California Coast and parts of the Eastern Seaboard.

"For decades, the conventional wisdom was that naturally occurring hydrogen did not accumulate in sufficient quantities to be used for energy purposes," said Sarah Ryker, USGS associate director for energy and minerals, in a statement. This map suggests several US areas may have subsurface hydrogen resources.

Natural hydrogen, or geologic hydrogen, is drawing substantial investment and interest as a potential low-carbon fuel from federal agencies, startups and established companies that are hedging their low-carbon hydrogen projects, sources have said. Despite being historically overlooked, challenges remain before it can achieve widespread adoption, as highlighted by an earlier analysis by S&P Global Commodity Insights.

The key challenge is identifying and producing hydrogen accumulations, which requires adapting oil and gas exploration models and technologies for hydrogen, Geoffrey Ellis, a research geologist at the USGS, said in an earlier interview, noting the web-based map would come by late 2023.

Sarah Gelman, a geologist at the USGS said in the statement, "We showed there is a significant potential for geologic hydrogen as an emerging energy resource. The next logical step was to find where it might be in the United States – and for that, we had to develop a methodology, which we applied first to the Lower 48 states."

The new USGS prospectivity map evaluates regions with the essential geological conditions — hydrogen sources, reservoir rocks, and seals needed for hydrogen accumulation, assigning them prospectivity values from zero to 1, with higher values suggesting a greater likelihood of geologic hydrogen accumulations compared to areas with lower values.

The USGC clarified that the map does not predict the distribution of subsurface hydrogen, as much of it may be too deep, too far offshore, or in quantities too small to be economically viable.

Natural hydrogen accumulations

Ellis suggested in an earlier interview that if 2%-3% of the estimated natural hydrogen accumulations are accessible and economically viable, it could meet global hydrogen demand for centuries.

The USGS plans to regularly update the map as scientific understanding and exploration advance. This initiative marks an important first step in understanding a resource with the potential to become a significant future energy source for the US.

Despite significant uncertainty about the role geologic hydrogen will play in meeting future energy demands, it holds potential as a low-cost feedstock for essential chemicals and could aid in decarbonizing the energy sector, the USGS said.

As hydrogen exploration companies start drilling, oil and gas majors are monitoring these developments, with successful exploratory wells potentially boosting the industry's growth, sources said.