Methods of generating hydrogen in a subsurface formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025084746-A1
Application number	US-202318464767-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2023
Priority date	Sep 11, 2023
Publication date	Mar 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of generating hydrogen in a subsurface formation, the method comprising injecting oxidizable metal particles into a subsurface formation comprising subsurface water and a geologic trap, wherein the subsurface water has a temperature of from 18° C. to 400° C. and a pressure of from 500 psi to 10,000 psi, the geologic trap comprises one or both of a structural trap or a stratigraphic trap, the geologic trap substantially prevents vertical migration of the subsurface water out of the subsurface formation, and the oxidizable metal particles react with the subsurface water to form hydrogen, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, or combinations thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of generating hydrogen in a subsurface formation, the method comprising:
injecting oxidizable metal particles into a subsurface formation comprising subsurface water and a geologic trap, wherein:
the subsurface water has a temperature of from 18° C. to 400° C. and a pressure of from 500 psi to 10,000 psi;
the geologic trap comprises one or both of a structural trap or a stratigraphic trap;
the geologic trap substantially prevents vertical migration of the subsurface water out of the subsurface formation; and
the oxidizable metal particles react with the subsurface water to form hydrogen and one or more metal oxides or metal hydroxides.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting CO 2 into the subsurface formation before, after, or concurrently with the injection of the oxidizable metal particles into the subsurface formation, wherein:
the CO 2 reacts with the subsurface water to form carbonic acid; and the carbonic acid reacts with the oxidizable metal particles to form additional hydrogen and metal carbonate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizable metal particles are nanoparticles, such that the oxidizable metal particles comprise a particle size of from 10 nm to 100 nm.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizable metal particles comprise iron, iron oxide, aluminum, or both.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the oxidizable metal particles are injected as a oxidizable metal particle liquid solution; the CO 2 is injected as supercritical CO 2 or as a CO 2 -containing liquid solution, or both.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the subsurface formation and the subsurface water are anaerobic.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the oxidizable metal particles, the CO 2 , or both, are anaerobic.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the structural trap comprises an anticline trap, a fault trap, or combinations thereof; and the stratigraphic trap comprises a pinch-out, an unconformity, a diapir, a caprock, or combinations thereof.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subsurface water comprises water selected from the group consisting of formation water; filtered seawater; untreated seawater; natural salt water; brackish salt water; saturated salt water; synthetic brine; mineral waters; potable water containing one or more dissolved salts, minerals, and organic materials; non-potable water containing one or more dissolved salts, minerals, and organic materials; deionized water; tap water; distilled water; fresh water; or combinations thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the subsurface formation further comprises a caprock seal overlying the subsurface formation; and the caprock seal substantially prevents upward migration of the subsurface water, the hydrogen, the CO 2 , the carbonic acid, the oxidizable metal particles, the metal oxide, and the metal carbonate out of the subsurface formation.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the subsurface formation further comprises a base-rock seal underlying the subsurface formation; and the base-rock seal substantially prevents downward migration of subsurface water, the hydrogen, the CO 2 , the carbonic acid, the oxidizable metal particles, the metal oxide, and the metal carbonate out of the subsurface formation.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subsurface formation comprises a water-bearing strata or a hydrocarbon formation.

13 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the CO 2 and the oxidizable metal particles are injected into the subsurface formation via one or more injection wells in fluid communication with the subsurface formation.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising producing the hydrogen from the subsurface formation from at least one of the one or more injection wells.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the subsurface water is from 500 psi to 4,000 psi.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the subsurface water is from 50° C. to 200° C.

17 . A method of generating hydrogen in a subsurface formation, the method comprising:
injecting a liquid solution of oxidizable metal particles into a subsurface formation comprising subsurface water and a geologic trap, wherein:
the subsurface water has a temperature of from 18° C. to 400° C. and a pressure of from 500 psi to 10,000 psi;
the geologic trap comprises one or both of a structural trap or a stratigraphic trap;
the geologic trap substantially prevents vertical migration of the subsurface water out of the subsurface formation;
the oxidizable metal particles comprise iron nanoparticles, aluminum nanoparticles, or both, such that the oxidizable metal particles comprise a particle size of less than or equal to 100 nm; and
the oxidizable metal particles react with the subsurface water to form hydrogen, metal oxides, metal hydroxides, or combinations thereof.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting CO 2 into the subsurface formation before, after, or concurrently with the injection of the oxidizable metal particles into the subsurface formation, wherein:
the CO 2 is injected as supercritical CO 2 or as a CO 2 -containing liquid solution; the CO 2 reacts with the subsurface water to form carbonic acid; and the carbonic acid reacts with the oxidizable metal particles to form additional hydrogen and metal carbonate.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the subsurface formation and the subsurface water are anaerobic.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the CO 2 and the liquid solution of oxidizable metal particles are injected into the subsurface formation via one or more injection wells in fluid communication with the subsurface formation; and the method further comprises producing the hydrogen from the subsurface formation from at least one of the one or more injection wells.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Patel Hasmukh A
• Atilgan Ahmet

Classifications

• C01B3/061

  by reaction of water with metal oxides · CPC title

• C01B2203/86

  Carbon dioxide sequestration · CPC title

• C01B2203/0805

  Methods of heating the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas · CPC title

• E21B43/295 Primary

  Gasification of minerals, e.g. for producing mixtures of combustible gases (E21B43/243 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title