Experimental Characterization of Hydrogen Diffusion in Shale Rocks for Geologic Storage Applications

As global energy systems undergo a transition to cleaner alternatives, geologic hydrogen storage has emerged as a promising solution for large-scale energy storage. A critical factor in determining the feasibility of this approach is the effectiveness of caprock formations, such as shale, in preventing hydrogen migration. This study investigates the diffusion behavior of hydrogen through shale to assess its suitability as a caprock for geologic hydrogen storage. Using a novel double-seal core holder design and a through-diffusion apparatus, hydrogen diffusion was measured through shale rock from the Eagle Ford and Wolfcamp Formations under dry conditions. These measurements were complemented by microstructural and mineralogical analyses using low-pressure nitrogen adsorption and X-ray diffraction. The effective diffusion coefficient of hydrogen in these shale caprocks ranged from 2.51 × 10–8 to 9.85 × 10–8 m2/s. Notably, we observed that the diffusion behavior was more related to the pore network structure and could not be attributed to differences in the total pore volume between shale types alone. To further understand the role of pore network complexity, a fractal pore model was developed to correlate tortuosity with the fractal dimension of the pore structure (a measure of pore network complexity). The proposed model closely matched tortuosity values obtained from diffusion experiments, outperforming existing theoretical tortuosity–porosity correlations. These findings provide key quantitative parameters needed to assess the feasibility of geologic hydrogen storage as well as insights that can be applied to hydrogen storage in a range of geologic formations.