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Hydrogen (H2) can be used in fuel cells to generate electricity. It emits zero carbon and is efficient, capable of storing and delivering a tremendous amount of energy, making it important for future national energy strategies. However, H2 is mostly produced by separating it from fossil methane fuel using techniques such as steam methane reforming, known as grey H2, which has a carbon footprint.

Natural hydrogen, with no carbon footprint (referred to as white or gold H2) exists, as demonstrated by H2 seeps in many countries worldwide, including Indonesia. One geologic setting for the generation of natural H2 is the serpentinization of peridotite at the base of collisional/obducted ophiolites. In this setting, methane can also coexist, considered abiotic since the methane is generated when H2 reacts with CO or CO2 derived from the thermal degradation of collisional continental carbonates (a process akin to Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in chemical engineering).

The Tanjung Api gas seeps in the East Arm of Sulawesi are emitting significant volumes of H2 and methane. Based on geological setting and gas geochemistry data, the H2 was generated from serpentinization of peridotite at the base of ESO (East Sulawesi Ophiolites), migrating to the surface through faults of obducted ophiolites. Meanwhile, the methane is thermogenic gas but altered by biodegradation, oxidation, or thermochemical sulfate reduction. The Poso or Ampana sub-basins of the Gorontalo Basin is interpreted to be a kitchen for the methane.
Currently, geological H2 accumulation is being researched to understand its origin, how, and where it accumulates in the subsurface. Some aspects related to this have been understood, but many aspects still need to be researched to integrate all aspects into a method called the geologic hydrogen system, which can be used to explore natural hydrocarbon accumulation. This paper proposes such a system based on the idea of natural H2 occurrence in the East Arm of Sulawesi and identifies the areas in Indonesia where natural H2 and abiotic CH4 can be explored.