Historic US crude production development and the potential for geologic hydrogen
The figure below shows US oil production since 1900. It made me pause and brought me to a few realizations regarding a geologic hydrogen industry. First, to review US oil production, the US produced <1mbd in 1910. Production has increased by 1500% since then to 13mbd, along with demand and usage. The US was likely the world leader so world production may have been 2-5mbd. It is now 100mbd for production and usage (50x). In 1910, today's number would have been a "fantasy". They may have said the Earth doesn't even contain enough oil to produce at that sustained level. Technology, science, innovation, and work have led here.
I believe 2 things about natural/geologic hydrogen. There are vast reserves in the Earth (existing and that can be stimulated) that are continuing to be generated, and they will never realized at any scale by drilling 3-5 wells/year in the world. Today's estimate of 20M tons/yr emitted by the Earth are likely a vast underestimate, based only on what we have been able…
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