Published: August 21, 2024 |

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Stillwater Critical Minerals is collaborating with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy via the Advanced Research Projects Agency program (ARPA-E), to study the potential for geologic hydrogen production at its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in Montana.

Funding in the amount of $2 million has been secured by Berkeley Lab to advance the “Cyclic Injection for Commercial Seismic-Safe Geologic H2 Production (CyclicGeoH2)” project, led by Berkeley Lab Research Scientist Dr. Mengsu Hu in collaboration with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas at Austin.

“We are excited for our Stillwater West project to be selected for this cutting-edge work in the burgeoning field of geologic hydrogen generation. We look forward to continued work with Dr. Hu’s team given our shared vision of securing domestic supply of the critical minerals so urgently needed by the US while also potentially generating clean energy in the form of hydrogen based on the rare geology of the Stillwater Igneous Complex,” said Michael Rowley, Stillwater Critical Minerals president and CEO.

“With the largest nickel resource in an active U.S. mining district and a wealth of other minerals listed as critical by the U.S. government, Stillwater Critical Minerals is exceptionally well-positioned to play a significant role in achieving these goals as we continue to advance Stillwater West as a large-scale, low-carbon source of at least nine minerals listed as critical. It is our belief that mining can do more than supply minerals by conventional means, and that relationships such as this are the path toward more sustainable practices,” added Rowley.

“It is an exciting opportunity to study geologic hydrogen that is funded by the U.S. government for the first time. Our technology has potential for a wide range of geologic settings where it may be possible to produce geologic hydrogen at scale,” said Dr. Mengsu Hu, Berkeley Lab Lead Principal Investigator.

“The layered ultramafic rocks of the Stillwater Complex may be ideal for generation of geologic hydrogen through stimulation. If core-scale tests using stimulation produce favorable results, we are optimistic about proceeding to larger scale pilot tests in the Stillwater Complex where the full range of our technology can be brought to bear. We are also interested to see if naturally occurring hydrogen can be detected in the Stillwater Complex,” said Dr. Carl Steefel, Co-Principal Investigator at Berkeley Lab.

The team is developing technologies for geologic hydrogen production that address the challenge of extracting hydrogen both safely and economically at commercial scale. The technology involves the use of adaptive controls of fracture creation followed by serpentinization reactions to generate and subsequently extract hydrogen to a wellhead.

Using rock samples from the Stillwater Igneous Complex, the team is applying an integrated approach for developing and testing novel technology that includes laboratory tests, field characterization and multiscale numerical modeling. The research effort in the project will benefit from studies conducted by other projects supported by ARPA-E that are focusing on the enhancement of the rate of geologic hydrogen generation.

Geologic hydrogen refers to hydrogen gas that occurs naturally within the earth’s crust, which is generated through natural processes such as the reaction of water with certain types of iron-rich rocks, and other processes. The most favorable settings for geologic hydrogen accumulation are within ultramafic rocks which are rich in the mineral olivine that readily reacts in the serpentinization process, producing geologic hydrogen. These environments provide the necessary conditions for continuous hydrogen production over geological timescales or through accelerated stimulation of these reactions, making them ideal for potential exploration and extraction of hydrogen as a clean energy source.

Hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a clean energy source due to its ability to produce energy with minimal environmental impact. When used in fuel cells, hydrogen combines with oxygen to generate electricity, with water vapor as the only byproduct, making it a zero-emission energy source. Hydrogen can be stored and transported efficiently, making it a versatile energy carrier that can be used in a wide range of applications, from powering vehicles to providing backup power for grid systems. As the world seeks to reduce its carbon footprint, hydrogen holds significant promise as a key component of the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

Stillwater Critical Minerals is a mineral exploration company focused on its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in the iconic and famously productive Stillwater mining district in Montana. With the addition of two renowned Bushveld and Platreef geologists to the team and strategic investments by Glencore, the company is well positioned to advance the next phase of large-scale critical mineral supply from this world-class American district, building on past production of nickel, copper, and chromium, and the on-going production of platinum group, nickel, and other metals by neighboring Sibanye-Stillwater. Stillwater also holds the high-grade Black Lake-Drayton Gold project adjacent to Nexgold Mining’s development-stage Goliath Gold Complex in northwest Ontario, currently under an earn-in agreement with Heritage Mining, and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu-Co critical minerals project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinum‘s Wellgreen deposit in Canada‘s Yukon Territory.

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