The Philippines has become the first Southeast Asian country to begin active seismic exploration for native hydrogen after Denver-based Koloma Inc. deployed a 132.6-line-kilometer 2D seismic survey in Pangasinan province this week. The survey, announced by the Philippine Department of Energy on July 13, 2026, will generate detailed images of underground rock formations to identify areas that may contain naturally occurring hydrogen — a zero-emission fuel source produced deep within the Earth through natural geological processes, without requiring any industrial manufacturing. Philippine Energy Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said the government hopes the country could become “the first in the world to produce from contract naturally occurring hydrogen.”
Key Takeaways
- Koloma Inc. has begun a 132.6-line-kilometer 2D seismic survey in Pangasinan, Philippines, to map subsurface formations for native hydrogen under Service Contracts 83 and 84, which cover more than 200,000 hectares
- Koloma is investing $8 to $9 million in the exploration phase, including eventual drilling of an exploration well, with no Philippine government funds at risk
- Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin expects initial assessment results within four to six months, with potential drilling by the end of 2026
- Koloma has also been awarded Service Contract 92 for exploration in western Zambales, where initial geological sampling at the Los Fuegos Eternos natural gas seep area yielded results that warranted further study
- Koloma has raised more than $400 million from investors including Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Khosla Ventures, United Airlines, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
What Is Native Hydrogen and How Does It Form?
Native hydrogen — also referred to as white hydrogen, geologic hydrogen, or naturally occurring hydrogen — is molecular hydrogen that forms underground through natural chemical reactions, primarily a process called serpentinization. In serpentinization, groundwater comes into contact with iron-rich rock deep beneath the Earth’s surface, triggering a chemical reaction that splits water molecules and releases free hydrogen gas. The hydrogen then migrates upward through faults and fractures in the rock, potentially accumulating in geological traps similar to the way natural gas and petroleum collect in subsurface reservoirs.
The distinction from other forms of hydrogen is fundamental. Green hydrogen, which has been the focus of most clean energy investment, is produced by splitting water using electrolysis powered by renewable electricity — a process that requires significant infrastructure, energy input, and capital. Gray hydrogen, the most commonly produced form, is manufactured from natural gas through steam methane reforming, which releases carbon dioxide. Native hydrogen requires no manufacturing process at all. If it can be extracted from the ground in commercial quantities, it would provide a continuous, zero-carbon fuel source at a fraction of the production cost of green hydrogen.
Koloma describes native hydrogen as “the first new primary energy source the world has found since nuclear power was developed in the 1950s.” The company’s proprietary exploration technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze geological data, satellite imagery, and subsurface indicators — including circular depressions on the Earth’s surface known as “fairy circles” that sometimes emit hydrogen — to identify promising drilling targets.
What Is Happening in the Philippines?
The Pangasinan seismic survey represents the first field-level exploration activity under Koloma’s Philippine service contracts. The company was awarded Service Contracts 83 and 84 last year by the Philippine Department of Energy, giving it the right to explore more than 200,000 hectares for native hydrogen. The DOE has integrated native hydrogen exploration into its existing petroleum service contract framework, under which service contractors assume all technical, operational, and financial risks — meaning no government funds are used for exploration, development, or production.
Koloma is investing $8 to $9 million in the exploration phase, which includes the seismic survey and eventual drilling of an exploration well. The seismic data will take four to six months to process, with Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin indicating that by the end of 2026, the country should have a clearer picture of whether commercially viable volumes of native hydrogen exist beneath Pangasinan.
Separately, Koloma has been awarded Service Contract 92 for exploration in western Zambales province. Initial geological sampling at the Los Fuegos Eternos natural gas seep area in Zambales has already yielded what the DOE described as promising results warranting further study. Under the government’s framework, Koloma has seven years to complete its exploration program across its Philippine contracts.
Energy Undersecretary Sales acknowledged the uncertainty inherent in the process, noting that the DOE still has no estimate of the volume of native hydrogen underground or whether extraction would prove commercial. That candor reflects the broader reality of native hydrogen exploration globally: the science is promising, but commercial viability remains unproven at scale.
Where Does the Global Native Hydrogen Race Stand?
The Philippines enters a field that has attracted substantial capital but has yet to produce a commercial success story outside of a single location. The only documented commercial natural hydrogen operation in the world is the Bourakébougou well in Mali, West Africa, which has powered a village for more than three decades. That well demonstrated the long-term viability of native hydrogen extraction but has been widely viewed as a geological anomaly rather than a scalable model.
Koloma has been the dominant private-sector player in the space, raising more than $400 million in disclosed funding rounds filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company’s investor roster includes Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, Khosla Ventures, United Airlines’ Sustainable Flight Fund, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Koloma has drilled exploratory wells in Kansas, Iowa, and Idaho through various operating subsidiaries, though it has released limited public data about results. In Kansas, Koloma’s operating arm High Plains Resources reported finding significant hydrogen concentrations in at least one well, but the company has not disclosed production figures or confirmed commercial viability.
The number of geologic hydrogen exploration companies operating worldwide has grown rapidly since 2024, with active programs now spanning the United States, Australia, France, Canada, and South Africa. The U.S. government has added momentum with a $3-per-kilogram tax credit for clean hydrogen production that covers native hydrogen alongside other pathways. Michigan’s governor signed an executive directive in January 2026 creating a formal framework for geological hydrogen exploration, and the U.S. Geological Survey has published prospectivity maps identifying high-potential zones in the American Midwest and along the East Coast.
The stakes are significant. If native hydrogen exists in the quantities that geological models suggest — and if it can be extracted economically — it would provide a continuous, 24-hour clean fuel source that addresses the intermittency problem limiting wind and solar adoption, at production costs that could undercut every other form of clean hydrogen on the market.
FAQs
What is native hydrogen? Native hydrogen is molecular hydrogen that forms naturally underground through geological processes, primarily serpentinization — a chemical reaction between groundwater and iron-rich rock. Unlike green or gray hydrogen, native hydrogen requires no industrial manufacturing and produces no carbon emissions during extraction.
Who is Koloma Inc.? Koloma is a Denver-based natural hydrogen exploration company that uses proprietary AI-driven technology to identify and map subsurface hydrogen deposits. The company has raised more than $400 million from investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon, Khosla Ventures, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Where is the 2D seismic survey taking place? The 132.6-line-kilometer survey is underway in Pangasinan province in the Philippines, starting from Bugallon town. Koloma holds Service Contracts 83 and 84 covering more than 200,000 hectares in the region.
Has native hydrogen ever been commercially produced? The only documented commercial native hydrogen operation is the Bourakébougou well in Mali, West Africa, which has powered a local village for more than 30 years. No other commercial-scale production has been confirmed globally.
When will the Philippines know if it has viable hydrogen reserves? Philippine Energy Secretary Sharon Garin estimated that processing the seismic data will take four to six months. If results are promising, exploration drilling could follow by the end of 2026.
How does native hydrogen compare to green hydrogen in cost? Native hydrogen, if extractable at scale, could be produced at a fraction of the cost of green hydrogen, which requires expensive electrolysis equipment and renewable electricity. Exact cost comparisons remain speculative until commercial extraction is demonstrated.
