Unearthing Oman’s natural hydrogen resources

Oman is home to one of the largest and best-preserved sections of ancient oceanic lithosphere. In most parts of the world, it remains buried beneath the ocean floor and can only be studied by drilling deep into the seabed. The ophiolite is a geological formation representing parts of Earth’s oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been tectonically uplifted and exposed on land.

The Samail ophiolite in Oman offers scientists an extraordinary opportunity to study geological structures that are normally difficult to access. “This is one of the most complete sections of oceanic lithosphere that can be observed anywhere on Earth,” says Ivan Callegari, associate professor in the Department of Applied Geosciences at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech). By examining these rocks, scientists can better understand their potential to generate natural hydrogen and how they can support carbon capture and storage.

“Geologists have been studying these rocks for more than a century,” Callegari says. “But in recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific interest. Today, this region hosts one of the largest concentrations of researchers studying natural hydrogen in the world.” GUtech is one of the international institutions supporting the Oman Drilling Project, a major scientific initiative launched in 2016 to investigate the geological structure and evolution of the ophiolite, which is rich in iron and magnesium-bearing minerals.

When these minerals react with water, they undergo serpentinisation, a process that converts them into secondary minerals called serpentine. This chemical reaction produces hydroxides and silicates while releasing molecular hydrogen. “Understanding the conditions under which this process occurs is crucial for evaluating the potential of natural hydrogen as an energy resource,” explains Heninjara Rarivoarison, senior lecturer in the Department of Applied Geosciences at GUtech.

However, the generation of hydrogen alone does not guarantee that the ophiolite can be a usable resource. A number of geological conditions must be met for hydrogen to accumulate in the subsurface, such as temperature, pressure and fluid chemistry. “Our research is focused on understanding whether these systems could be significant natural hydrogen reservoirs,” says Callegari.

Researchers at GUtech are monitoring springs, groundwater systems and natural gas emissions to detect hydrogen concentrations. This work combines field observations with advanced analytical techniques to understand the behaviour of hydrogen within geological systems.

As hydrogen is a highly mobile gas that can easily escape through fractures in the Earth’s crust, studying these processes requires expertise from multiple scientific disciplines. A team of geophysicists contribute to the project by imaging subsurface structures using an electromagnetic survey. Remote sensing is increasingly used to map complex terrains and collect high-resolution geological data, while machine learning tools help researchers analyse large datasets and integrate structural, geochemical and geological information.

A central hub for this research is the Oman Hydrogen Centre, established at GUtech in 2019. The centre supports research on natural hydrogen systems and green hydrogen production through renewable energy sources and interactions between water and certain rock formations. Hydrogen is increasingly seen as a key component in the global transition towards green energy. This is an objective that aligns with the sustainability goals outlined in Oman Vision 2040. GUtech is committed to advancing research in this field by exploring the region’s unique natural resources and collaborating with companies operating in Oman’s mining and energy sectors.

Find out more about the German University of Technology in Oman.