Permian Basin pilot project demonstrates
commercial viability of new de-souring method for oil and natural
gas production
PASADENA, Calif., May 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Thiozen, the first company ever to produce clean
hydrogen from "sour gas" waste streams, today announced the success
of an in-field pilot unit in the Permian Basin, the first-ever
demonstration of a process to simultaneously de-sour natural gas
and produce clean hydrogen for use by the energy industry.
"Throughout history, humans have made hydrogen from either
fossil fuels or water – until now." said Ryan Gillis, co-founder and President at
Thiozen. "We are proud to provide an entirely new method of
producing hydrogen – one that will revolutionize the energy
industry and spur the modern hydrogen economy."
For the pilot, Thiozen partnered with A.C.T. Operating Company,
a leading oil and gas production operation based in Texas, to install its proprietary technology
at a gas-gathering site in the Permian Basin. The effort
successfully "de-soured" – or removed -- hydrogen sulfide from the
sour natural gas streams while simultaneously generating
zero-emission hydrogen.
"Sour gas processing is a major cost associated with energy
supply, and both removing the hydrogen sulfide and producing a new
energy stream in hydrogen gas is a major step-up in our industry,"
said Marshall Watson, President of
A.C.T. Operating Company and Department Chair of Petroleum
Engineering at Texas Tech
University.
Hydrogen is essential to producing fuels and chemicals, but its
production is polluting and carbon-intensive, generating
approximately 2 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas
emissions. Hydrogen demand is dominated by large cost-sensitive
commodity chemical manufacturers, who are facing an increased need
for hydrogen to raise profits and meet environmental standards.
"The energy industry has been seeking better hydrogen production
methods for decades; Thiozen finally did it," said Maureen Stancik Boyce, Ph.D. Managing Partner at
Good Growth Capital. "This is the first time a technology has
produced zero-emission hydrogen from sour gas waste streams, and
achieving a new pathway that gives the energy industry the
low-cost, low-emission hydrogen production method it needs."
Rising regulatory and societal pressure is currently limiting
the construction of additional carbon-intensive hydrogen production
infrastructure, placing further pressure on manufacturers.
"We're thrilled with the success of this pilot project, and we
are excited to accelerate the commercialization of this
breakthrough technology for producing zero-emission hydrogen," said
Gillis. "We believe our proprietary solution can transform the
energy industry by helping it meet two over-arching goals: energy
security and decarbonization."
"This pilot affirms the key material and energy balances of the
Thiozen system for processing raw sour gas in the field," said
Boyce. "This is truly a transformational moment for the energy
industry."
About Thiozen's Breakthrough Hydrogen Production
Technology
Thiozen's patented chemical cycle produces
hydrogen from hydrogen sulfide – the "sour gas" waste stream –
thereby replacing traditional hydrogen production. This process
will reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 300
million metric tons per year. In addition, the technology will
improve air quality and respiratory health in communities near
current hydrogen infrastructure while providing cost-sensitive
firms a path to both procuring additional hydrogen and lowering the
carbon intensity of their products.
About Thiozen
Thiozen is an MIT spinout and the first-ever company to
commercialize a process that can produce hydrogen from sour gas
waste streams. By developing a low-cost, low-emission method of
producing hydrogen, Thiozen helps meet the energy industry's
growing demand for clean, affordable hydrogen. Thiozen recently
validated its technology in an in-field pilot unit in the Permian
Basin. The 3-year-old company has headquarters in Pasadena, CA. Learn more at
www.thiozen.com.
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SOURCE Thiozen