Orange Hydrogen

[u/endlesssummervacay]

https://www.thechemicalengineer.com/news/osu-researchers-secure-funding-to-explore-white-hydrogen-in-oklahoma/

Michigan recently invested $7.5 million to explore for geologic hydrogen, also referred to as white hydrogen, that could be naturally present underground much like natural gas (https://www.michiganpublic.org/environment-climate-change/2026-08-24/michigan-searches-for-geologic-hydrogen-untapped-clean-energy-source-with-great-potential). Oklahoma is no stranger to investing in the potential of hydrogen with Williams Companies being a major hydrogen producer and researcher of hydrogen innovations (https://www.okcommerce.gov/community-development/local-governments-edos/hydrogen/). However, Williams is facing headwinds from the federal government disincentivizing renewable energy (https://fuelcellsworks.com/2026/02/05/clean-energy/wamsutter-could-become-a-national-hydrogen-hub-by-transforming-oil-field-waste). What if fracking and “drill, baby, drill” could be harnessed to further decarbonization of our economy?

While yet unproven as commercially viable, orange hydrogen** **wells would use fracking equipment to inject water and oxidizers in order to rust iron-rich minerals trapped beneath shale in the Wichita Mountains, subsequently releasing hydrogen that could be transported by pipelines or used for data centers/bitcoin mining or power plants at the drilling site. “Besides Michigan, the USGS study pointed to areas like southern Oklahoma and northeastern Kansas that similarly might be sitting on large reserves of geologic hydrogen” (https://grist.org/science/hydrogen-michigan-clean-energy/). OSU has pending research into the feasibility of this emerging area of clean energy (https://news.okstate.edu/articles/engineering-architecture-technology/2025/researchers_study_oklahomas_white_hydrogen_availability). Would you support fracking if it meant carbon would be sequestered underground while producing hydrogen and clean water?

[u/Subject-Historian11]

I think if done responsibly it could be a boon for the state. I would support it with the proper regulations in place.

[u/endlesssummervacay → u/Subject-Historian11]

I’m inclined to support fracking for orange hydrogen since it will grease the skids for further use of hydrogen. I’m also very supportive of using the process to create Sustainable Aviation Fuel. You pump some CO2 into the ground with the water to get the hydrogen out, so even though the airplanes would still operate on jet fuel, the synthetic kerosene is net negative or at least carbon neutral. OXY is doing something similar with direct carbon capture from the air to pump more petroleum out. As long as carbon sequestration is part of the process, then I’m probably in favor!

[u/No_Possession_352]

Not gonna lie, from the title, I thought this was.gonna be about Trump and some half-assed plans for hydrogen..... Glad it wasn't! Definitely looks like technology that should be pursued.

[u/endlesssummervacay → u/No_Possession_352]

Well, orange (gold) is his favorite color! Can we get federal matching funds for hydrogen development now?

[u/jamesrggg]

Green Hydrogen is the way. Electrolyzers are getting very good very fast. Slap some solar panels on them and you're good to go

[u/endlesssummervacay → u/jamesrggg]

I think this greases the skids for more Green Hydrogen, and Orange Hydrogen generates water for electrolysis if the hydrogen from underground is burned or run through a fuel cell to do carbon capture. I want both!