H2EX, a Perth-based company, and its CEO and Managing Director, Mark Hanna, have been awarded the Energy Club WA Game Changer 2024 Industry Award. The company is making an impact in the energy sector as they explore natural hydrogen and helium in South Australia.
“The vision for H2EX is to contribute to Australia’s decarbonisation goals, with low-cost natural hydrogen,” said Partner, Energy, Resources & Industrials Leader, Bernadette Cullinane.
H2EX aims to support Australia's decarbonisation with low-cost natural hydrogen. They are collaborating with the University of Adelaide and Australian National University to explore and develop natural hydrogen, a zero-carbon fuel.
H2EX uses green exploration methods, adapting mining techniques for hydrogen. Their goal is to produce hydrogen up to 75 per cent cheaper than man-made alternatives, making it competitive with hydrocarbons. They are the first natural hydrogen company to secure Australian Federal Government funding for exploration and extraction research.
H2EX holds a 6,000 km² exploration license on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, with an additional 52,000 km² of license applications. In Western Australia, they have 109,000 km² of prospecting acreage. Over the past 18 months, H2EX has completed seven data acquisition surveys, covering approximately 2,500 km² of their license area.
These surveys, conducted in collaboration with the University of Adelaide and Australian National University, have yielded high-quality data and exploration leads.
They have assisted in identifying drillable targets and discovering commercial accumulations of natural hydrogen and helium.
H2EX have developed theories and models to predict the existence of natural hydrogen, created ranking criteria and heat maps to identify hydrogen and
helium seeps. They use passive seismic techniques, traditionally used for earthquake research and hard rock mining, to map faults and identify geological
structures that could act as reservoirs for naturally occurring hydrogen.
In addition, H2EX has employed magnetotellurics (MT), a method used to study the earth's subsurface by measuring natural electromagnetic fields.
This technique, combined with passive seismic data, has provided a comprehensive understanding of hydrogen migration pathways and potential traps.
H2EX's collaborations with industry innovators like Fleet Space Technologies and esteemed institutions such as the University of Adelaide and Australian National
University have positioned them at the forefront of natural hydrogen exploration.
H2EX's partnership with Black & Veatch, a century-old engineering company, has identified a clear pathway to drill, extract, and process natural hydrogen and helium.
"H2EX is a first mover in the search for natural hydrogen, conducting world leading research into exploration techniques to discover a new low-cost and clean
energy source for Australia."
The 2024 Energy Industry Game Changer Award was proudly sponsored by Mineral Resources Limited.
You can find out more about the Energy Industry Awards categories and how to nominate.
See the full event photo gallery here.