H₂ Potential: An Emerging Resource Under Exploration
Natural hydrogen, also known as white or geologic hydrogen, is attracting growing interest as a low carbon energy source. It could play a key role in the global energy supply however, despite its immense potential, the natural hydrogen market is still in its early stages. The formation and migration models of natural hydrogen need to be further studied to better understand its distribution in the subsurface and assess the economic viability of its exploitation.
HOREX® project, a winning synergy
HOREX pilot project, handled by Mantle8 a French geoscience-based company, is located in the French Pyrenees mountains where natural hydrogen occurrences have been detected. A significant exploration in April 2025 has been realized to accurately map exploitable resources and develop the appropriate extraction technologies.
Mantle8 company was using the brand new DFU-3C part of WiNG solution from Sercel to explore, develop and test technological solutions to unlock scalable exploration at the upstream stage of the natural hydrogen industry.
The DFU-3C is the most compact and lightweight 3 components node on the market.
The exploration
For 40 days, micro-seismic data were recorded using 2 x 500 DFU-3C deployed over a total area of 900 Km2 in the French Pyrenees mountains.
HOREX is a pioneer technology to image the entire Hydrogen system with minimal environmental impact.
Natural hydrogen exploration presents significant technical challenges. The kitchen, migration path, reservoir and surface linking point represent the key components of the hydrogen system, all of which must be mapped with the highest precision.
CONCLUSION
The seismic exploration of natural hydrogen is a rapidly growing field that is expected to play a crucial role in the future energy landscape. Further technological and scientific advancements are necessary to optimize its exploitation, but its gradual integration into the global energy mix could mark a decisive step toward a more sustainable future.
Mantle8's HOREX imaging technology delivers the high quality imagery required to de-risk drilling site selection, reducing costs and increasing speed to market.
Mantle8 and Sercel have demonstrated a model that allows low impact and scalable exploration at the upstream stage of the natural hydrogen industry.
Want to explore more about this project?
Read the full announcement from Viridien to discover this strategic partnership, accelerating hydrogen exploration.