Panorama of the Bulqizë ophiolite seen from the Batra valley in Albania. Mining activity is visible in the valley. Credit: L. Truche
A team of geologists affiliated with several institutions in France, in collaboration with two Albanian colleagues, measured the largest natural flow of hydrogen ever recorded in an Albanian chrome mine. In their study, reported in the journal Sciencethe group measured the hydrogen gas bubbling in the mine’s liquid pools.
Hydrogen gas is colorless, odorless and extremely flammable. It was often used as a fuel source. More recently, it has been seen as an alternative to carbon-based fuels because its combustion produces no greenhouse gases.
Currently, hydrogen is obtained by capturing it as it is released during natural gas extraction. It can also be produced by various processes, many of which involve the release of greenhouse gases. A better approach, the researchers suggest, would be to exploit natural hydrogen reserves, such as that located under the Bulqizë mine in Albania.
Previous research has shown that a large reservoir of hydrogen lies beneath the mine in Albania and that it appeared when part of the Earth’s crust shifted millions of years ago, pushing it towards the top and on the neighboring crust. The resulting expanse of land formed a type of rock belt known as an ophiolite. Several ophiolites of this type have been discovered around the world, most of which are believed to house hydrogen reservoirs.
In this new study, researchers responded to reports of large quantities of hydrogen seeping through vents and bubbling into the mine’s drainage basins; several explosions were reported. They measured seepage at several sites at the mine and used the results to estimate the total amount of hydrogen escaping. Their figures indicated that approximately 200 metric tons leaked from the mine each year, making it the largest natural flow ever documented.
The team of scientists explores the mine galleries under the direction of local miners. The team of scientists monitors the concentration of hydrogen in the air of a mine tunnel and samples the gases that seep into the flowing stream. This gallery is located 1,000 m below the surface. Credit: FV. Donze
The research team concludes that new technology is needed to take advantage of these reservoirs to capture large quantities of hydrogen cleanly and economically, perhaps reducing reliance on carbon-based fuels.
More information:
Laurent Truche et al, A deep reservoir of hydrogen leads to intense degassing in the Bulqizë ophiolite, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adk9099
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