Inventory of natural H2 occurrences in Romania - 2026

Description

Natural hydrogen (H₂) produced in crustal and mantle rocks is a new target of geological exploration for its potential as an energy resource with low carbon emissions. H₂ occurrences are broadly listed and inventoried worldwide, but detailed mapping at a country scale is poorly documented. This study presents the first inventory and map of natural H₂ occurrences in Romania, one of the European countries with a large natural H₂ potential. The inventory includes 286 subsurface (deep wells) and 158 surface (gas seeps, mud volcanoes, and geothermal manifestations) data selected from studies published between 1970 and 2019, and from new analyses reported in this paper. The H₂ data are distinguished between concentrations in the gas phase (vol%) and those dissolved in water (μM), and include sites where H₂ was not detected. Normal Probability Plot analysis shows 14 concentration outliers and that more than 90% of the data refer to trace H₂ levels (up to ~0.1 vol%). Although H₂ concentrations are generally low, Romania has an exceptional case of natural H₂ occurrence (28.7 vol%) related to serpentinisation in the Tișovița-Iuți ophiolite. The outliers occur in eight major tectonic units, characterised by the presence of potential H₂ source rocks, including serpentinised peridotites in ophiolites, radiolytic basement (crystalline rocks), high-maturity sedimentary rocks in hydrocarbon-bearing fields, and geothermal systems with high-temperature, deep crustal or mantle fluids. The natural H₂ map of Romania represents a European example serving as experimental reference for scientific research and exploration, supporting policy formulation on natural H₂ exploitation.

Steps to reproduce

See methodology in: Sfabu S.I., Orban A., Moga R.V., Mureșanu M., Lupulescu A.I., Martonos I.M., Ajtai I., Baciu C., Etiope G. (2026). Mapping natural hydrogen occurrences in Romania. Energy Geoscience, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engeos.2026.100650

Institutions

• INGV Sezione di Roma 2

  Lazio, Rome
• Babeș-Bolyai University

  Cluj County, Cluj-Napoca

Categories

Funders

• Unitatea Executiva Pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior a Cercetarii Dezvoltarii si Inovarii

  National Research Council

  București, Bucharest

  Grant ID: 141/2026
• European Commission

  European Union

  Brussels Capital, Brussels

  Grant ID: GA N°101069750

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