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WO-2026096542-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EVALUATING HYDROGEN GENERATION POTENTIAL FROM ROCKS IN GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

WO2026096542A1WO 2026096542 A1WO2026096542 A1WO 2026096542A1WO-2026096542-A1

Abstract

Methods for identifying, evaluating, and high-grading rocks associated with past or future potential generation of hydrogen from geologic materials are provided. For example, a method for evaluating a hydrogen system within a geological source rock includes obtaining a geological sample of the geological source rock; extracting 'mobile' gases of the geological sample under a pressure gradient; evaluating the 'mobile' gases extracted from the geological sample; and quantifying a volume of hydrogen previously generated based on the 'mobile' gases.

Inventors

  • DARRAH, Thomas
  • LARY, Brent
  • GARDNER, CHRISTOPHER
  • WHYTE, Colin
  • EYMOLD, William

Assignees

  • KOLOMA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251028
Priority Date
20241111

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method for evaluating a hydrogen system within a geological source rock, the method comprising: obtaining a geological sample of the geological source rock; extracting ‘mobile' gases of the geological sample under a pressure gradient; evaluating the ‘mobile’ gases extracted from the geological sample: and quantifying a volume of hydrogen previously generated (H2EV) based on the ‘mobile’ gases.
  2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting comprises: placing the geological sample in a vessel connected to a vacuum chamber; and applying a differential pressure to facilitate movement of the ’mobile’ gases out of the geological sample.
  3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein evaluating comprises determining a composition of the ‘mobile’ gases.
  4. 4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein evaluating comprises determining a gas pressure of the geological sample.
  5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein quantifying comprises: determining a minimum total pressure of gas in the geological source rock; and determining a total volume of hydrogen gas in the geological source rock based on the minimum total pressure.
  6. 6. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein evaluating comprises determining a proportion of hydrogen relative to remaining gases of the ‘mobile’ gases.
  7. 7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein evaluating comprises determining a volume of ‘mobile’ hydrogen of the ‘mobile’ gases.
  8. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising: comminuting the geological sample; 88 1603737151.3 2890821.00148 measuring a total volume of hydrogen of the comminuted geological sample; and determining a volume of ‘immobile’ hydrogen based on the total volume of hydrogen and the volume of ‘mobile’ hydrogen.
  9. 9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein evaluating comprises measuring a rate of hydrogen release and calculating a relative permeability of hydrogen in the geological sample based on the rate of hydrogen release.
  10. 10. The method of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the quantifying step comprises calculating a relative permeability of one or more permeating fluids in the geological source rock based on the relative permeability of the permeating fluids.
  11. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the permeating fluids comprise one of hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, ammonia, water, methane, argon, hydrogen sulfide, krypton, xenon, oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ethane, ethene, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, or hydrogen cyanide.
  12. 12. The method of any of claims 1 to 11, wherein quantifying comprises calculating a relative permeability of the one or more permeating fluids in the geological source rock based on the rate of permeating fluid release.
  13. 13. The method of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein quantifying comprises multiplying the volume of hydrogen previously generated times a thickness of the geological source rock, an areal extent of the geological source rock, and an average density of the geological source rock. 89 1603737151.3 2890821.00148
  14. 14. The method of any of claims 1 to 13, further comprising determining a mineralogy of the geological sample, wherein the mineralogy includes one or more of the following: primary minerals Hi involved in hydrogen generation; secondary minerals Hi that previously generated hydrogen, wherein the secondary minerals H2 include a subset Hza of minerals capable of generating hydrogen and a subset Hu, of minerals incapable of generating hydrogen; and one or more minerals Ho unrelated to hydrogen generation.
  15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein quantifying the volume of hydrogen available for generation comprises calculating the volume of hydrogen according to an equation wherein Ml is calculated each mineral in a set of minerals z - P: where m rO ck is the mass of sample being analyzed, /// is the relative abundance of mineral i in the sample, MW, is the molecular weight of mineral i in kg/mol, and 07 is the stoichiometric ratio of moles of hydrogen generated from moles of mineral z, and wherein the Mi is calculated for each mineral of the geological sample.
  16. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the quantification of the volume of hydrogen previously generated (H2EV) includes determining the ratio of Fe 2+ to Fe 3+ within the geological source rock.
  17. 17. The method of any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the volume of hydrogen previously generated (H2EV) quantified from the geological source exhibits a carbon intensify score of less than 3.0 kg CCheq/kg H2.
  18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the volume of hydrogen previously generated (H2EV) quantified from the geological source exhibits a carbon intensify score of less than 1.5 kg CCheq/kg H2. 90 1603737151.3 2890821.00148
  19. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the volume of hydrogen previously generated (H2EV) quantified from the geological source exhibits a carbon intensity score of less than 0.45 kg CCheq/kg H2.
  20. 20. The method of any of claims 1 to 18, further comprising collecting the geological sample and sealing the geological sample in a vessel promptly after collecting.

Description

2890821.00148 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EVALUATING HYDROGEN GENERATION POTENTIAL FROM ROCKS IN GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN PRODUCTION SYSTEMS USING GAS PROPERTIES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application comprises an international PCT application claiming the benefit of U.S. Application No. 19/317,967 filed September 3, 2025, which comprises a continuation of U.S. Application No. 18/943,715 filed November 11, 2024 (U.S. Patent No. 12,429,473), which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/713.051 filed on October 28, 2024, and also claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/713,049 filed on October 28, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/713,050 filed on October 28, 2024. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the fields of energy extraction, geology, geochemistry, mineralogy, geologic hydrogen exploration, geologic hydrogen extraction, or subsurface geologic hydrogen stimulation. The present disclosure relates to methods for extracting, measuring, quantifying, and evaluating the volumes and composition of chemical species contained within geologic material in order to assess the volume of hydrogen that was or can be generated from a given geologic material (e.g., hydrogen source rocks) for the purposes outlined above and below. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for identifying, evaluating, and high-grading rocks associated with past or future potential generation of hydrogen from geologic materials. BACKGROUND [0003] This section is intended to introduce terminology' and context associated with embodiments described in this disclosure. Thus, the following discussion in this section provides a framework for better understanding the disclosure, and is not to be viewed as an admission of prior art. [0004] Hydrogen is a carbon-free energy carrier and chemical feedstock that can supplant carbon-based fossil fuels, especially when combined with other sources. Hydrogen can be generated using sustainable energy’ sources such as geothermal, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power. The disclosure herein relates to hydrogen produced from or generated within the Earth’s subsurface and extracted by drilling, boring, mining, or various other means of penetrating the earth. 1 1603737151.3 2890821.00148 [0005] In the production of natural resources from formations within the earth, a well or borehole is drilled into the earth to the location where the natural resource is believed to be located. These natural resources may be hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, dihydrogen sulfide, methane, or other hydrocarbon gases; a dihydrogen sulfide reservoir, a hydrogen reservoir, a helium reservoir, a carbon dioxide reservoir, a natural gas reservoir, a reservoir rich in dihydrogen sulfide, a reservoir rich in hydrocarbons, a reservoir rich in hydrogen, a reservoir rich in helium; the natural resource may be fresh water, brackish water, or brine; it may be a heat source for geothermal energy; or it may be some other natural resource, ore deposit, mineral, metal, or gem that is located within the ground. [0006] These resource-containing formations may be a few hundred feet, a few thousand feet, or tens of thousands of feet below the surface of the earth, including under the floor of a body of water (e.g., below the seafloor) or beneath other natural resources (e.g., below aquifers, lakes, mines). In addition to being at various depths within the earth, these formations may cover areas of differing sizes, shapes, and volumes. [0007] Typically, and by way of general illustration, in drilling a well an initial borehole is made into the earth (e.g., the surface of land or seabed), and then subsequent and smaller diameter boreholes are drilled to extend the overall depth of the borehole. In this manner as the overall borehole gets deeper its diameter becomes smaller, resulting in what can be envisioned as a telescoping assembly of holes with the largest diameter hole being at the top of the borehole closest to the surface of the earth. [0008] Thus, by way of example, the starting phases of a subsea drill process may be explained in general as follow s. Once the drilling rig is positioned on the surface of the w ater over the area where drilling is to take place, an initial borehole is made by drilling a 36" hole in the earth to a depth of about 200 - 300 ft. below the seafloor. A 30" casing is inserted into this initial borehole. This 30" casing may also be called a conductor. The 30" conductor may or may not be cemented into place. During this drilling operation a riser is generally not used and the cuttings from the borehole (e.g., the earth and other material removed from the borehole by the drilling activity) are returned to the seafloor. Next, a 26" diameter borehole is drilled within the 30" casing, extending the depth of the borehole to about 1,000 - 1,500 ft. This drilling operation may also b