none 10.1144/geoenergy2024-002 Geological Society of London Geological Society of London 1881 159836363 513106 2025031009443900120 10.1144 2025-03-10T16:47:10Z 2024-04-15T08:27:09Z 70 Geoenergy Geoenergy 2755-1725 01 08 2024 12 31 2024 2 1 Owain Jackson H2Au, Global House, 1 Ashley Avenue, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5AD, UK http://orcid.org/0009-0005-0259-5460 Steve R. Lawrence Natural Hydrogen Study Group (NHSG), Chiltern House, 45 Station Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1AT, UK http://orcid.org/0009-0001-3725-742X Ian P. Hutchinson Natural Hydrogen Study Group (NHSG), Chiltern House, 45 Station Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1AT, UK http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1380-1483 Andrew E. Stocks Natural Hydrogen Study Group (NHSG), Chiltern House, 45 Station Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1AT, UK http://orcid.org/0009-0003-2072-580X Andrew C. Barnicoat Natural Hydrogen Study Group (NHSG), Chiltern House, 45 Station Road, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire RG9 1AT, UK http://orcid.org/0009-0006-2744-0251 Mike Powney H2Au, Global House, 1 Ashley Avenue, Epsom, Surrey KT18 5AD, UK http://orcid.org/0009-0003-6463-6059 Several sources of natural hydrogen are known or postulated but the process of serpentinization, the action of water on ultramafic rocks, is shown to be the most effective. Studies indicate that the rates and volumes generated by high-temperature serpentinization, (i.e. in the temperature range of 200–320°C), could feed a focused hydrogen system potentially capable of sealing and trapping gas-phase hydrogen in commercially-sized accumulations. Natural hydrogen is generated by serpentinization wherever ultramafic rocks can be penetrated by aqueous fluids. This includes diverse geotectonic settings ranging from divergent and convergent plate margins to intra-plate orogenic belts and Precambrian cratons. The ‘hydrogen system’ describes the generation, migration and sealing/trapping of hydrogen. There are two parts to the ‘generic hydrogen system’: the ‘source-generation sub-system’ requires an ultramafic protolith, usually in basement, and a supply of water penetrating basement rocks. In the ‘migration-retention sub-system’ migration, sealing and entrapment of gas-phase hydrogen behaves the same as for hydrocarbon gases. The hydrogen system by serpentinization is used to develop play models to guide exploration in the accessible and exploitable geotectonic settings of continental cratons, ophiolites and convergent margins. 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