13/08/2024 by Richard
Houston-based Gold H2 has announced that its microbial-based technology for converting crude oil in depleted oil wells is now available as pilot demonstrations for upstream oil and gas companies.
As oil wells become depleted, the loss of pressure ultimately makes it uneconomical to extract the remaining crude oil. While oil majors like Shell and ExxonMobil, the maker of the Mobil Pegasus gas engine oil have developed technologies to extend the life of oil wells, it remains a problem to find productive uses for them at end of life.
Gold H2 is now offering a means for certain depleted wells to be converted into producers of clean, low-cost hydrogen. An onsite fermentation unit called a Mobile Microbe Manufacturer (M3) injects a solution of nutrients and microbes to initiate the production process. The company says that up to 120 wells can be converted by an M3, with each of these producing hydrogen at a daily rate of up to 2.5 tons.
Gold H2’s Head of Business Development, Alicia Dinges, said that:
“Gold H2 uses Earth’s natural resources to produce the lowest cost, cleanest hydrogen fuel. Over the last two years, our team has worked tirelessly towards this day, expanding our microbe portfolio, testing different environments, and preparing for worldwide deployment. We are excited and have numerous projects in the pipeline…”
She added that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with a major US oil and gas firm, although she did not name it specifically.
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