Emerging interest in naturally formed hydrogen and helium resources hint at a fresh frontier in low‑carbon energy supply. Geological processes deep beneath the earth are now understood to generate hydrogen without industrial input, while helium finds its place alongside as a strategic gas. Research from institutions such as University of Oxford and its collaborators has identified the key rock types, migration paths and preservation conditions that could allow these resources to accumulate.
This raises the prospect of extraction routes that bypass much of the energy‑intensive infrastructure typical of electrolysis or steam‑reforming hydrogen production. At the same time, helium remains an important industrial gas for applications from cryogenics to electronics, which gives any combined hydrogen‑helium discovery a dual market appeal.
While the exploration phase is still in its infancy, for investors the appeal lies in accessing hydrogen and helium with potentially lower upstream carbon footprints and a novel supply base. The challenge will be converting geological promise into economically recoverable flows, the resource efficiency, drilling costs, regulatory frameworks and scale of commercial recovery will all matter. On the supply side, the compatibility of sites, the presence of sealing formations and the ability to secure pure‑gas streams will define winners.
Thor Energy PLC (LON:THR) is a leading exploration company focused on natural hydrogen and helium, with a significant footprint in the highly prospective South Australian region.
