Abstract Native hydrogen and helium have been considered important resources in assisting the energy transition. Hydrogen and helium seeps have been reported worldwide, which may indicate large reserves within the subsurface. However, generation of hydrogen and helium is complex; poorly understood and constrained for both generation processes and migration. One source of native hydrogen is ultramafic rocks, which have experienced serpentinization together with water radiolysis. In contrast, helium generation occurs as the result of the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium present within radiogenically enriched basement. An exploration tool, dedicated to identifying areas with the geological settings and conditions favourable for native hydrogen and helium generation, has been developed and tested. Several databases have been created and integrated as part of this study (geological and geochemical generation models) to support and focus the search for both hydrogen and helium. Machine learning algorithms which extract value from geospatial data types for detecting various accumulations have been implemented. The first machine learning results demonstrate the significant value in integrating data and machine learning for high grading areas more conducive to accumulating hydrogen and helium.

ABSTRACT Mapping the distribution of productivity in ancient seas is a fundamental requirement for predicting the lateral variation in source rock quality, one of the main uncertainties for exploration in frontier basins, and is also required in the modeling of the carbon cycle in deep time. To construct a predictive tool designed to address this problem, a multifaceted approach based on paleogeographic mapping integrated with Earth-systems modeling has been devised and applied for a series of 18 time slices from the Early Paleozoic to Recent. Plate Wizard™ reconstructions were used as the basis for global paleogeographic mapping. Detailed paleotectonic and paleoenvironment maps were prepared using a global database of paleoenvironmental and lithofacies data compiled for this project. A novel method relating topography and bathymetry to plate tectonic environments was used in the construction of paleo digital elevation models (DEMs), and these DEMs were coupled with state-of-the-art paleo-Earth systems models (UK Meteorological Office HadCM3 paleoclimate model) run specifically for this project. The database also included climate proxies that were used to test the veracity of modeling results. Both upwelling and storms are major factors in the supply of nutrients to the photic zone, and low light levels are a significant seasonal limit on primary productivity, particularly at high latitudes. Each of these elements of the predictive model was derived from the HadCM3 model output. This approach also provides an understanding of paleogeographic and paleoclimatic geohistory that includes drainage basin evolution.