Geological Hydrogen: Exploration and Challenges

November 17 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
(Offered only in French)

Room 308B

Regular rate: $50

Student rate: $20

Workshop Organizer: Mehdi Amine Guemache (MEIE)

This workshop will focus on geological hydrogen through expert lectures and round table discussions.

8:30 a.m. – Welcome Address – Stephan Séjourné (Enki GéoSolutions)

8:35 a.m. – Natural Hydrogen 101 – Stephan Séjourné (Enki GéoSolutions)

Natural hydrogen is produced by geological processes, as opposed to hydrogen produced by industrial processes such as green hydrogen or gray hydrogen. Unlike industrial hydrogen, it is a primary energy source rather than an energy carrier. Natural hydrogen is a rapidly expanding area of exploration in a growing number of countries, but it remains little known in Quebec.

This conference provides a brief overview of the current state of knowledge on the subject: geology, currently favored exploration concepts and tools, development of the sector, environmental considerations, etc.

9 a.m. – First assessment of natural hydrogen potential in the geological context of Quebec – Jasmin Raymond (INRS-ETE)

The MEIE entrusted the INRS with the task of carrying out the first assessment of natural hydrogen potential in Québec. The aim of this study was not to demonstrate the presence of exploitable accumulations in the province, but rather to develop a framework for prioritizing future exploration efforts, while minimizing the risks and investments required to develop this resource.

This work has allowed us to:

• • review current geological knowledge;
  • define and inventory the areas likely to contain rocks that may have produced natural hydrogen over the course of their geological history, and catalogue the occurrences reported in the scientific literature in Québec;
  • carry out an up-to-date review of geophysical and geochemical methods that can be used to detect hydrogen;
  • present an overview of the natural hydrogen industry;
  • make recommendations for validating the presence of natural hydrogen in Québec and developing this new resource.

A total of 31 areas of interest have been identified and categorized according to their geological affinities. These areas have been selected and delineated to provide a representative overview of the nature and extent of the rocks that could be sources of hydrogen, but do not cover the full potential of the area. Each of these zones has been assessed and classified according to three geological criteria and the proximity of potential end-users. Complementary exploration work, starting with the detection of hydrogen emanations at the surface, is still required to confirm the presence of this resource in Québec.

9:25 a.m. – Hydrogen: An Orange Solution for the Green Transition – Florian Osselin (Vema Hydrogen)

Hydrogen is considered to be a key component of the decarbonization strategy of many countries targeting domains such as mobility, as well as heavy and chemical industries.

The hydrogen demand is expected to increase sixfold by 2050, creating a $1.4 Tn market. But there’s a fundamental issue: current hydrogen production technologies come either with exorbitant capital costs and prohibitive operational expenditures, or with unsustainable carbon impact, up to 10 kg CO₂/kg H₂ for the main hydrogen technology today: steam methane reforming.

Here, we explore an alternative option and highlight the benefits of rock-based hydrogen. We show that the exploitation of subsurface hydrogen not only has the capacity to answer the growing demand for decarbonized hydrogen, but can do so at a competitive price, without requiring subsidies or green premium.

Helping accelerate the hydrogen economy, Orange Hydrogen holds the key to bridging pricing and demand.

9:50 a.m. – The Legislative Framework for Geological Hydrogen: Comparative Perspectives on Canadian, Australian and French Law – Hugo Tremblay (Université de Montréal)

This presentation provides a comparative overview of legal frameworks for geological hydrogen research and production. It describes the legislative and regulatory frameworks in selected jurisdictions where geological hydrogen development activities are being conducted or are being considered, with the aim of identifying key challenges and emerging best practices. The jurisdictions studied are South Australia, France, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.

10:15 a.m. – Break

10:30 a.m. – Round Table on Natural Hydrogen

12 p.m. – End of Workshop