Abstract
There is a growing global interest in natural hydrogen, the field continues to face the inability to achieve sustained, commercially viable production rates. While exploration efforts have intensified, evidence of continuous hydrogen generation at usable commercial scales remains limited. This work presents an engineering-led approach that seeks to stimulate natural hydrogen production by applying controlled thermal stimulation to accelerate hydrogen-generating reactions in suitable lithologies, such as ultramafic rocks. Drawing on decades of oil and gas field experience, we repurpose established techniques—horizontal drilling, zonal heating, and thermal reservoir modeling—to evaluate and activate in situ hydrogen production potential to produce hydrogen as an energy source. An initial injection of energy enables production of hydrogen that contains more energy than was injected. Our method allows for modular scalability while providing a framework to better quantify subsurface responses, fluid pathways, and energy efficiencies in diverse geologic settings.
Bio
Robert Dombrowski is a PhD. researcher investigating and developing means to produce hydrogen suitable for fuel and energy sources. Robert, earned his PhD. From Michigan State University in 2001. Robert then worked for ExxonMobil as part of the Upstream Research Company developing their, at the time, next generation simulator, history matching, and use of 4D seismic. In 2006, Robert joined Shell to develop their in-situ upgrading of bitumen and thermal stimulation technologies. Robert became an expert in dynamic simulation and history matching and tackled problems such as history matching multi-fractured horizontal wells, parent-child well interaction, type curve generation, and EOR in shales. In 2011 Robert led Shell’s unconventional reservoir engineering research team. In 2019, Robert became one of Shell’s technology leads. Robert left Shell and joined GeoKiln to develop in-situ hydrogen stimulation via thermal processes.