Natural Hydrogen Exploration – From Surface Signals to Subsurface

Goals

• Exploration of natural gas emissions along the Albstadt shear zone.
• Identification of potential geogenic hydrogen sources in the subsurface.

Specifically

• Mapping natural gas seeps and geological structures
• Short-term and long-term measurements of H₂, CH₄, CO₂ and trace gases in soil gas
• Stable isotope analyses to constrain gas origin
• Use of drone-based multispectral remote sensing to detect degassing zones

Project Lead

• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• Prof. Dr. Christoph Hilgers & Dr. Benjamin Busch

Cooperation Partners

• EIFER – European Institute for Energy Research EDF-KIT
• Heidelberg University – Biogeochemistry Group (Prof. Frank Keppler)

Funding

German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, 7^th Energy Research Programme

Activities & Progress

• Mapping natural gas emissions and geological structures
• Soil gas monitoring and gas composition analysis
• Stable isotope analysis to determine gas origin