This Houston startup is using old oil wells to make clean hydrogen
Deep in West Texas, an old oil field is nearing the end of its commercial life. But a startup recently spent a month at the site producing a new energy source: clean, ultra low-carbon hydrogen. Eclipse , the startup, uses microbes to break down oil in end-of-life wells, releasing hydrogen that can be brought to the surface using existing infrastructure. In the pilot, the company generated…
Deep beneath West Texas, an aging oil field is being repurposed to create clean hydrogen. Eclipse, a startup, employs microbes to extract hydrogen from the residual oil in decommissioned wells, a process that can be conducted using existing infrastructure. During a 30-day pilot, the company generated hydrogen continuously before halting the test.
Eclipse's CEO, Prabhdeep Singh Sekhon, explains that oil fields often leave behind a significant amount of untapped hydrocarbons, including hydrogen. The company has amassed a database of oil field microbes, developing its own consortium to harvest hydrogen from the oil left in abandoned wells. This process also releases CO2, which Eclipse claims can be captured.
In Texas, the company's pilot proved the viability of the technology in more challenging geological conditions. Unlike other hydrogen production methods, this approach does not necessitate the creation of new infrastructure or expensive exploration. Instead, it leverages existing oil field assets, potentially transforming liabilities into revenue streams.
Scaling up this technology could revolutionize the energy sector, making it the most cost-effective method of hydrogen production. Potential applications include fertilizer manufacturing and powering data centers and heavy-duty transportation.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
