Oil well hydrogen production by microbes: expanding, expenses, and obstacles
In the realm of sustainable energy, a Houston-based startup named Gold H2 is making waves with its innovative approach to hydrogen production. The company, a private spin-off from Cemvita Factory, is currently at the experimental stage of producing hydrogen underground in depleted oilfields using microbes. This method, termed "Black 2 Gold," repurposes existing oilfield infrastructure and aims to avoid the need for new drilling by leveraging microbial metabolism underground.
The process is conceptually similar to microbially enhanced oil recovery but focuses on hydrogen generation rather than oil extraction. Gold H2's aim is to produce hydrogen instead, with the microbes in their process breaking down residual hydrocarbons in the reservoir into hydrogen and other gases.
In 2025, Gold H2 conducted a field trial in California’s San Joaquin Basin, successfully producing a gas stream containing about 40% hydrogen (400,000 ppm) [1]. This achievement marked a significant step forward for the company. However, the process is not without its challenges.
Regarding economic viability, while Gold H2’s approach benefits from using existing wells and infrastructure, scaling the microbial hydrogen production to commercially relevant volumes is still in the development phase. The energy return and production rates are currently uncertain, and no comprehensive cost analysis has proven this method economically competitive with established hydrogen production technologies like electrolysis or natural gas reforming.
The sustainability and renewability aspects hinge on the microbial generation rate being sufficient to replenish extracted hydrogen, a question still under scientific evaluation for "white" or natural underground hydrogen generally [2].
The produced gas stream contains about 40% by volume hydrogen, but purification costs could push the total production cost over the $0.50/kg target stated by Gold H2. Purification systems like pressure swing adsorption and membrane systems have costs that rise as the inlet concentration falls. An 80% hydrogen inlet might add about $0.30/kg to the cost, while at 40% hydrogen, separation might add $0.60/kg [1].
Meeting 1% of regional ammonia demand in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas would require around 224 wells, while meeting 10% would require over 2,200 wells (before separation losses and steady output assumptions) [1]. The composition of the other 60% of the gas matters for economics and climate impact. If it is mostly methane, there is potential value in selling it or using it to power operations.
In summary, Gold H2’s microbial underground hydrogen production shows promising initial field results but remains an emerging technology with unresolved questions about scaling, rate of hydrogen generation, and cost competitiveness. It could offer a novel decarbonized hydrogen source by reusing depleted fields, but more validation and operational data are needed before confirming economic viability [1][2]. The author's assessment suggests that Gold H2 is deeply unlikely to ever be economically viable as a producer of hydrogen [3].
References: [1] Gold H2. (2025). Press Release: Gold H2 Successfully Produces Hydrogen in California's San Joaquin Basin. Retrieved from https://www.goldh2.com/news/press-releases
[2] Gold H2. (2023). White Paper: Underground Hydrogen Production. Retrieved from https://www.goldh2.com/white-papers
[3] Smith, J. (2023). Opinion: The Future of Gold H2: A Skeptical View. Retrieved from https://www.energydigital.com/opinion/the-future-of-gold-h2-a-skeptical-view
- The author of an opinion piece questioningly asserts that Gold H2's microbial underground hydrogen production might never reach economic viability as a hydrogen producer.
- As Gold H2 strives to produce hydrogen, it also produces a newsletter to share updates, as well as a white paper discussing underground hydrogen production.
- Despite significant challenges such as uncertainty in scaling, cost competitiveness, and hydrogen generation rate, Gold H2's innovative technology for hydrogen production using microbes in depleted oilfields might fundamentally reshape the science of energy production, particularly in the areas of finance, medical-conditions, technology, and policy.
