Mantle8, a natural H₂ exploration company, has reported exceptionally high soil-gas readings at its Comminges prospect in the French Pyrenees – validating its proprietary exploration technology. The breakthrough signals a potential turning point for Europe’s long-term energy security, leveraging local, cost-effective and climate-neutral natural H₂ reserves.

Mantle8’s proprietary technology is uniquely designed to identify complete H₂-generating systems – its core differentiator. Unlike conventional exploration, it integrates geology, geophysics, geochemistry and numerical modelling to map the entire system: from the H₂-producing source rock to the trapped subsurface reservoir – a world first. It also quantifies H₂ volumes and assesses resource quality with unprecedented precision.

Mantle8’s modelling identified the Comminges area as a likely site for an active H₂-generating system. Recent soil-gas test results of 2,500 parts per million (ppm) strongly validate the accuracy of the company’s technology – indicating active H₂ generation and far surpassing the industry’s prospectivity threshold of 350 ppm.

“The Comminges block represents the perfect combo: an ideal pilot zone to validate our technologies, with a geological setting offering maximum H₂ potential,” said Mantle8’s Founder and CEO, Emmanuel Masini. ”With these highly encouraging early results, we are well on our way to make $0.80/kg H₂ a reality by 2030.”

Ahead of the full grant of the Permit Exclusif de Recherche (PER), expected by the end of 2025, Mantle8 will monitor the block for the production of H₂ using low-impact exploration methods and the entire H₂-generating system will be imaged, including reservoirs. This data will allow Mantle8 to accurately select sites for further exploration, reducing development time by 50% and cutting millions in upfront exploration costs.