Natural hydrogen in low temperature geofluids in a Precambrian granite, South Australia. Implications for hydrogen generation and movement in the upper crust

Natural hydrogen (H2) has the potential to be a low-carbon fuel and energy source, playing a crucial role in achieving a clean, secure, and affordable energy future. However, our understanding of the generation, migration, and accumulation of H2 in the subsurface remains poorly constrained. Increasing evidence suggests that H2 is abundantly and widely present in various geological settings, making them viable targets for exploration of this emerging resource. Reports have indicated the presence of hydrogen-dominated natural gas in vintage boreholes located in the Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, South Australia. These boreholes were drilled in Cambrian sedimentary cover over Precambrian terranes that host iron ore, copper or gold ore deposits. To gain insight into these occurrences, rock samples were examined from the Roxby Downs granite, a Mesoproterozoic pluton associated with the Hiltaba Suite event (1.59 Ga), belonging to the same magmatic origin as the Yorke Peninsula basement.