Houston-based clean energy technology company GeoKiln Energy Innovation has gone ahead and inked a MoU with Oman National Engineering & Investment Co. SAOG – ONEIC so as to investigate the possibilities for engineered geologic hydrogen production at a site located in the Sultanate of Oman by way of using the proprietary Manufactured Subsurface Hydrogen – MSSHTM technology from GeoKiln.
The fact is that the agreement brings to the fore the engineered geologic hydrogen production approach from GeoKiln to one of the most investigated regions in the world when it comes to subsurface hydrogen.
Notably, in the 12-month MOU term, the companies are going to jointly evaluate the geology of a collaboratively identified location in Oman, permitting requirements, potential customers, subsurface data, infrastructure, and initial economics.
If the outcomes are promising, they might consider a trial or commercial project and an appropriate structure, possibly a joint venture. ONEIC has more than 40 years of engineering and utility as well as infrastructure delivery experience in Oman. On the other hand, GeoKiln contributes its MSSHTM technology and subsurface engineering workflows as well as operational knowledge.
Research into geologic hydrogen has zeroed in on iron-rich rock formations in Oman, a country with some of the most ambitious hydrogen goals in the world. GeoKiln’s approach adds to conventional exploration for naturally generated hydrogen – MSSHTM employs precision subsurface heating, an established method at scale in oil and gas, to speed the natural processes that produce hydrogen in iron-rich rock.
The approach can reduce cost and time to implementation in comparison to traditional hydrogen pathways by taking advantage of prevailing drilling infrastructure and supply chains.
Says CEO and Co-Founder of GeoKiln Energy Innovation, Dr. Alexei Tcherniak, “Oman’s geology has taught the world much of what we know about how the Earth makes hydrogen. Our technology is designed to accelerate that process in a controlled, predictable way. Working with ONEIC, a partner with deep roots in Oman’s energy and infrastructure sector, lets us evaluate MSSHTM in one of the most compelling geological settings anywhere.”
According to Dr. Lorna Ortiz, GeoKiln Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer, “New energy gets built through partnerships. ONEIC knows how to deliver complex projects in Oman, and GeoKiln brings a new way to manufacture low-carbon hydrogen at a competitive cost. We see a growing appetite in the region for hydrogen that is affordable, low-carbon, and produced locally.”
Remarks General Manager, EPC Division, ONEIC, Ahmed Al Hajri, “Combining GeoKiln’s technology with the distinctive properties of Oman’s hydrogen-generating rock formations could be a significant step towards achieving Oman Vision 2040’s energy objectives. ONEIC will draw on its extensive experience delivering complex engineering projects to assess the opportunity and, if the findings support it, help bring the technology to a pilot in Oman.”