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The Department of Energy (DOE) is set to begin aerial and geological surveys in western Pangasinan and Zambales as part of efforts to determine the presence of naturally occurring or “native” hydrogen, a potential clean energy resource identified in earlier studies.
DOE officials said an aerial survey will run from the last week of February until May to gather gravity and magnetic data on rock formations in the two provinces. The activity forms part of the agency’s broader push to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels under the Philippine Energy Plan.
“We aim to discover energy resources within our own territory,” DOE supervising science research specialist Andres Pangilinan Jr. told the Pangasinan provincial board during a presentation of the plan.
Ophiolite Formations
The exploration initiative stems from findings suggesting the possible presence of native hydrogen in ophiolite areas, which are fragments of ancient oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been uplifted onto continental crust.
“Native hydrogen generation typically occurs in rocks known as ultramafic rocks,” Pangilinan said. “Such ophiolite formations are present from Zambales to Pangasinan.”
He presented a map of the Zambales ophiolite formation and noted that a key challenge is determining its full size and whether it extends into western Pangasinan. The DOE has offered and awarded service contracts for the study, which is currently in its initial stage. “This is still a study—an initial stage of exploration. In other words, this is only step one in the search for potential energy sources,” Pangilinan said.
The exploration will include geologic mapping and data acquisition to assess subsurface structures. According to DOE senior science research specialist Jose Marie Arcega, the agency is targeting hydrogen that naturally occurs underground, rather than hydrogen produced through electrolysis.
“At present, hydrogen fuel is typically produced through electrolysis… In contrast, what we are looking for is naturally occurring hydrogen—hydrogen that already exists underground and does not need to be manufactured,” Arcega said.
He explained that olivine-rich ultramafic rocks, which are typically greenish and iron-rich, can produce hydrogen gas when they react with water over long periods.
Local Indicators
Vice Gov. Mark Lambino said mountainous areas of Pangasinan, where initial surface surveys indicate mineral deposits, are among the target sites. He cited the Manleluag Hot Springs in Mangatarem town as a possible indicator.
“The presence of the Manleluag hot springs… is considered an indicator that there may be natural hydrogen,” Lambino said, adding that further assessment is needed to determine viability.
Lambino clarified that the provincial board does not need to issue a resolution or endorsement for the exploration phase, as activities are limited to data gathering. Any move toward extraction would require coordination with relevant government offices.
Policy Framework
The current exploration builds on groundwork laid in 2024, when the DOE designated two pre-determined areas (PDAs) in Zambales and Pangasinan for possible hydrogen exploration under the Philippine Bid Round.
At the time, DOE Energy Resource Development Bureau assistant director Demujin F. Antiporda said the surveys would generate baseline geological and environmental data to guide service contractors and reduce exploration risks. The areas covered an estimated 134,096 hectares and 96,439 hectares.
Field assessments were conducted at the Mangatarem Hot Spring in Pangasinan, as well as the Botolan Hot Spring and Nagsasa Seeps in Zambales. The surveys also supported research by the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, which identified San Antonio, Zambales as having significant natural hydrogen seepage.
The DOE has said hydrogen can serve as a clean alternative fuel and energy carrier, and that the Philippines is the first country to introduce a policy framework specifically for native hydrogen exploration.
As the aerial and geological surveys proceed this year, the DOE emphasized that the effort remains at a preliminary stage aimed at determining whether commercially viable native hydrogen resources exist in the two provinces.
Source:
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2184312/doe-eyes-pangasinan-zambales-as-sources-of-native-hydrogen