French deep-tech company Mantle8 has made a significant stride in the quest for natural hydrogen, producing the world’s first 3D images of an active underground hydrogen system. The breakthrough, built on two decades of research, could reshape the energy sector’s approach to hydrogen exploration and production.
Mantle8’s HOREX® technology provides a comprehensive view of hydrogen’s lifecycle underground, from its generation in water to its accumulation in reservoirs. This capability allows explorers to pinpoint drilling sites with unprecedented precision, potentially reducing exploration costs by up to tenfold and minimizing environmental impact.
“For the first time in history, an entire natural hydrogen system has been imaged at the right scale, from the active reactive engine to the reservoir accumulating the hydrogen,” said Emmanuel Masini, Founder and CEO of Mantle8. “This low-impact innovation de-risks exploration to drilling and is easy to deploy everywhere, dramatically reducing costs and paves the way to commercial production of hydrogen.”
At Mantle8’s Hydrogeco prospect in the French Pyrenees, the scan processed millions of data points collected across 700 km², marking the largest natural hydrogen investigation ever conducted. The results reveal critical details such as hydrogen source rock quality, yield, and optimal drilling locations, making exploration faster and more efficient.
Modelling suggests that hydrogen could be produced at around €0.60/kg, a cost comparable to natural gas and significantly lower than current green hydrogen production costs. Mantle8 plans to scale its technology across multiple sites, with its first drilling campaign targeted for 2028 and commercial production by 2030.
This breakthrough could unlock a new low-carbon energy frontier, advancing global sustainability goals. By turning natural hydrogen from theory into measurable reality, Mantle8’s technology may pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective hydrogen exploration, potentially accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy future. The implications for the energy sector are profound, as this innovation could make natural hydrogen a viable and competitive energy source, reshaping the global energy landscape.