HyTerra reports 96% hydrogen in Midcontinent Rift wells

Exploration firms targeted iron-rich mafic rocks formed during the 1.1-billion-year-old rifting event. USGS prospectivity mapping flagged the Kansas-to-Michigan corridor as the highest-potential domestic zone. HyTerra and Koloma completed initial drilling campaigns; Koloma secured more than $400 million in cumulative funding. Borehole flux measurements at an Ontario mine site showed 8 kg of hydrogen released per year per hole across 14,000 existing boreholes. Stimulated approaches by Vema Hydrogen inject water and catalysts into similar lithologies to accelerate serpentinization reactions without relying on pre-existing accumulations. Eden GeoPower applies electrical stimulation to increase fracture permeability for both hydrogen and geothermal applications. Hydrogen's low molecular weight drives rapid leakage through microfractures, requiring immediate capture and compression at the wellhead. Storage and transport remain constrained by liquefaction energy penalties and pipeline embrittlement risks. Vema targets first commercial output in Quebec wells by 2028. Scale hinges on sustained reaction rates above 0.1 m³ hydrogen per m³ rock per day under field conditions.