【全球动态】英国石油勘探公司采用新技术寻找富裕的“白氢”矿床

（氢） 这种清洁燃料被视为工业过程中燃烧甲烷的重要替代品。

英国一家石油勘探专业公司表示，他们已经开发出一种定位地下氢矿床的方法。人们对天然清洁燃料潜力的日益高涨的热情促使他们试图对这种方法进行投资。

总部位于利兹的Getech公司几十年来一直在帮助化石燃料公司分析原油和甲烷储量的地质数据。现在，它已经调整了软件技术来寻找储存在地壳中的所谓白氢。

科学家们在20多年前就提出，地球表面深处的岩石可能蕴藏着这种气体，但要想找到它，可能需要钻到几公里深的地方。

然而，就在今年，在法国发现的一个矿床可以在3000米深处产生高纯度的氢气。

美国地质调查局(US Geological Survey)今年4月表示，（地球上）可能有足够的氢资源来满足人类的“数百年”的全球总需求。

Getech公司表示，其软件可以利用地球地下模型和人工智能识别天然气的“最佳位置”。

Getech公司 董事长Richard Bennett表示:“天然氢有望成为未来主要的能源资源，我们预计勘探行业将热衷于利用我们的专业知识，特别是考虑到我们在探索其他类型能源方面的成功声誉，以及我们能够提供的简明的、契合的数据能力。”

氢气被视为工业过程中燃烧甲烷的重要替代品，因为它可以在高温下燃烧，与氧气结合而生成的水是其唯一的副产品。

它也是替代汽车和卡车上的汽油、为家庭供暖和为飞机提供动力的候选者。但今天的“绿色氢”要么是通过昂贵的，使用可再生电力分解水分子来制造，要么是通过 碳密集型途径 分解甲烷分子并储存二氧化碳来制造。

美国能源部正在制定计划，以帮助启动白氢产业，并认为其潜力是“天文数字”。

乌克兰地质学家维亚切斯拉夫•兹冈尼克(Viacheslav Zgonnik)估计，天然气价格可能会从目前的每公斤3至4美元降至每公斤1美元，这将使其成为石油和天然气的替代品，经济效益大大提高。

另一家勘探者Gold Hydrogen在南澳大利亚约克半岛500米的地方发现了含80%氢的矿藏地。

除了燃烧的产物减碳之外，氢气的吸引力还在于它可以储存。其他的能源储存，比如电力，储存电力比立即使电力更困难，效率也更低。因此，氢的储存能力使得其获得了一定的关注。

British oil explorer adapts tech to hunt ‘white hydrogen’ bonanza

This clean fuel is seen as an important alternative to burning methane for industrial processes.

A British oil exploration specialist says it has developed a way to locate underground hydrogen deposits, in an attempt to capitalise on rising excitement over the potential of naturally occurring clean fuel.

Leeds-based Getech has spent decades helping fossil fuel companies analyse geological data for crude oil and methane reserves. Now it has adapted its software techniques to hunt the so-called  white hydrogen stored in the Earth’s crust .

Scientists posited more than 20 years ago that rocks deep under the earth’s surface might be harbouring the gas, but that getting to it could involve drilling down several kilometres. 

However, a deposit found in France this year could yield high-purity hydrogen at a depth of only 3,000 metres.

The US Geological Survey said in April that there is probably enough accessible hydrogen to meet total global demand for “hundreds of years”.

Getech says its software can identify “sweet spots” for the gas using models of the earth’s subsurface and artificial intelligence.

Chairman Richard Bennett said: “Natural hydrogen is anticipated to be a major future energy resource and we expect the exploration industry will be keen to utilise our expertise, especially given our reputation for successfully locating other types of energy sources and our ability to provide data simply and compatibility.”

Hydrogen is seen as an  important alternative  to burning methane for industrial processes, since it can burn at high temperatures, combining with oxygen and with water as the only byproduct. 

It is also a candidate for replacing petrol in cars and trucks,  heating homes  and powering aeroplanes. But today “green hydrogen” is made either by splitting water molecules using renewable electricity, which is expensive, and “blue hydrogen” by splitting methane molecules and storing the carbon dioxide, which is carbon-intensive.

The US Energy Department is drawing up plans to help kick start the white hydrogen industry, deeming the potential “astronomical”.

Viacheslav Zgonnik, a Ukrainian geologist, has estimated that the gas price could fall to $1 a kilo compared to the $3-$4 it costs today, making it far more economical as a replacement for oil and gas.

Another prospector, Gold Hydrogen, has found accumulations with 80pc hydrogen at 500 metres in the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia.

As well as burning well, hydrogen is attractive because it can be stored, while storing electric power is tougher and less efficient than using it immediately.