A Review on In Situ Hydrogen Generation in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

This review examines the emerging concepts of hydrogen production and storage directly within hydrocarbon reservoirs (in situ), evaluating their technical feasibility, infrastructure requirements, challenges, and potential role in net-zero strategies. The in situ hydrogen production involves injecting substances, like water or gases, into the reservoir where they react with the natural materials underground. Heat and catalysts can also help speed up chemical reactions. Techniques such as methane reforming, steam gasification, and aquathermolysis show promise for producing hydrogen efficiently while keeping carbon emissions low. There are several benefits when producing and storing hydrogen underground, including lower costs, less need for surface equipment, and reduced gas emissions. However, there are still certain challenges to this process, such as finding the optimal reaction conditions and keeping the reservoir stable over time. This review outlines key technological breakthroughs, real-world applications, and future research directions for in situ hydrogen generation and storage initiatives to help meet net-zero emission goals by 2050.