The commercialization and global deployment of subsurface hydrogen production from depleted oil and gas reservoirs advances in a collaborative effort involving Eclipse Energy and Wood.

The approach developed by Eclipse Energy leverages existing oilfield infrastructure to produce low-cost, sustainable hydrogen, avoiding high capital expenditure typically associated with greenfield hydrogen developments. The technology uses specialized microbes and engineered reservoir conditions to convert remaining hydrocarbons within shut-in or low-producing reservoirs into hydrogen gas.

Repurposing end-of-life assets creates a cost-effective path for the supply of clean hydrogen while creating new revenue opportunities for their partners through geoscience, engineering and microbiology expertise. Wood will provide engineering design, downstream knowledge and advisory support including decarbonization strategy, lifecycle assessment and levelized cost of hydrogen analysis.

The technology is projected to allow the companies to produce hydrogen for less than $0.50/kg without requiring potable water at $0.35 kg carbon dioxide/kg hydrogen. For comparison, hydrogen production from natural gas ranges from $0.50/kg to $1.70/kg among most regional gas prices.

According to the researchers, “This technology has the potential to extend the life of mature assets and oil fields, while delivering a scalable source of lower-carbon hydrogen. We’re pleased to provide the engineering and advisory expertise to help accelerate deployment in global markets.”