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164 INDIA'S HYDROCARBON OUTLOOK 2024-2025

be developed to track key emissions milestones holds significant promise for natural hydrogen
in alignment with the Net Zero targets of all E&P accumulation. Global analogues indicate that
operators. This includes collaboration with national natural hydrogen can occur in diverse geological
and international agencies to establish unified environments, including rifts, back-arc basins,
greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting standards. intracratonic basins, Precambrian cratons, Banded
Additionally, periodic reviews will be conducted Iron Formations, mineralized belts, mid-ocean
to monitor emission and the effectiveness of ridges, and orogenic zones. Given these similarities,
abatement measures. India’s subsurface conditions are considered highly
9.5.3 Natural Hydrogen Initiative conducive to hydrogen generation, reinforcing the
need for a focused national exploration strategy.
By early 2025, natural hydrogen has emerged Most probable zones to initiate natural hydrogen
as a key focus in global energy exploration, with exploration are shown in the above map.
over 150 exploratory licenses and more than 30
field investigations underway. Active geological India’s first breakthrough came in February
mapping, gas flux monitoring, and pilot drilling 2025, when the Geological Survey of India (GSI)
across at least 12 countries reflect the growing confirmed finding of natural hydrogen in the
international interest in its energy potential. South Andaman district of the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands. The gas was identified within
Preliminary analysis by the HENE team suggests serpentinized pillow basalt formations, marking
that India’s geological setting, marked by a pivotal step from theoretical potential to
sedimentary basins and stable cratonic regions, proven resource.