Short answer: satellite gas surveys map anomalies of hydrogen, helium, radon, methane and carbon dioxide across a whole region, then trace them back to the faults and fractures that carry gas to the surface. Explorers use the resulting maps to decide which ground to stake and where to send soil-gas sampling crews, before they spend on fieldwork.
## Why natural hydrogen is hard to find
Natural hydrogen is generated and stored in the Earth's crust, and it could become an important low-carbon energy source. But it gives few visible clues at surface, and sampling soil gas on foot across thousands of square kilometres is slow and expensive. The first problem for any hydrogen explorer is simply knowing where to look.
## What a satellite gas survey measures
Our algorithms detect anomalies for five gases in satellite imagery, each at its own resolution:
- Hydrogen, helium and radon at 10 m resolution
- Methane and carbon dioxide at 20 m resolution
- Deep hydrogen at 50 m resolution
Helium often accompanies hydrogen. All five gases are also used to map geological structures such as faults and fractures, which is where gas usually escapes.
## How we separate real anomalies from noise
Gas readings change with the seasons, so a single satellite scene is not enough. We collect data on several dates, including spring ice break-up, and only class an area as anomalous when hydrogen shows up across three or more periods. AI "fingerprint" models trained on known hydrogen occurrences then search the whole survey area for ground with the same response.
## What you receive
- Deep and near-surface hydrogen maps across your area of interest
- Fingerprint targets ranked by how closely they match known hydrogen occurrences
- A structural interpretation report linking the anomalies to faults and fractures
## Does it work?
For Protium Clean Energy (formerly Weekapaug Lithium), we surveyed about 11,000 km² around Lake Temiskaming. Our predictive targets lined up with the known hydrogen anomalies of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp., identified a target on Protium's own claim, and found very high helium levels in Lake Temiskaming and 122 other lakes.
We have also tested the method on a known deposit. A satellite scene of Mongolia's South Gobi from May 2000 shows a strong deep-hydrogen anomaly directly over the Hugo Dummett orebody at Oyu Tolgoi, three years before the deposit was officially discovered.
## Who it's for
- Hydrogen and helium explorers choosing which ground to stake
- Companies with large land packages that need to focus follow-up sampling
- Mineral explorers looking for gas escaping along faults above concealed deposits
## Read more
- [Our natural hydrogen and gas service](/solutions#hydrogen)
- [Mapping natural hydrogen from orbit: our surveys for Protium Clean Energy](/news/natural-hydrogen-satellite-surveys)
- [Oyu Tolgoi deep hydrogen case study](/case-studies/oyu-tolgoi-hydrogen)
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Exploring for hydrogen or helium? Send us your area of interest and we'll scope a regional gas survey. [Request a survey](/request-a-survey) or call +1 905 392 9003.