Highlights of the Program
2 days business program:
Learn from real-world case studies by industry leaders.
SHOWCASING INNOVATION:
Discover the latest technology and techniques from across the industry.
leaders talk:
Hear from top-level experts about how to stay ahead in a fast-changing industry.
MULTIPLE STREAMS:
A business program that is multi-disciplinary, giving you a broad view of the industry.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES:
Explore the latest smart and AI-driven solutions, and see how they can be used in your business.
roundtable discussion:
Join talks with industry peers. Share ideas, make connections, and find new partners.
Program
Day 1 :
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
DRILLING FOR WHITE HYDROGEN: NAVIGATING NEW FRONTIERS
Robert Gales
Halliburton
- Examining subsurface uncertainty through detection modeling and drilling challenges linked to hydrogen diffusivity
- Assessing material and operational risks, including alloy selection, cementing practices, fluid monitoring, and well integrity design
- Evaluating regulatory evolution, infrastructure readiness, and commercial risks while positioning early movers in emerging markets
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON TECHNICAL ADVANCES AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES IN WHITE HYDROGEN
10:10 - 10:40
SPEED NETWORKING SESSION
- Exchange business cards and get connected in short one-to-one meetings
- Start the conversation to arrange a more formal meeting later on in the conference
- Share your professional background and discuss your biggest business issues – don't forget your business cards!
10:40 - 11:00
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
Sponsored By GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP
11:00 - 11:30
PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE ROLE OF GEOLOGICAL HYDROGEN IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION
- Defining success metrics and critical decisions shaping hydrogen’s path toward scalable, repeatable, bankable energy deployment
- Examining global variability of geological hydrogen resources and its implications for regional strategies and resource concentration patterns
- Assessing geological hydrogen's potential as a low-cost, scalable resource offering a cleaner alternative to blue and green hydrogen
| Greenberg Traurig, LLP | Moderator
| GeoKiln
| Geomodeling Solutions LLC
| SLB
11:30 - 11:55
LEGAL UPDATE ON NATURAL HYDROGEN EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
William Garner
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
- Reviewing recent legislative changes with respect to the exploration and production of natural hydrogen
- Examining legal updates impacting natural hydrogen projects, with practical context and takeaways
11:55 - 12:00
Q&A SESSION ON POLICY AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENTS FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN PROJECTS
12:00 - 13:30
NETWORKING LUNCH AND VISITING THE DRILLING FOR HYDROGEN EXHIBITION
13:30 - 13:55
BUILDING A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN PRODUCTION IN MINNESOTA
Don Elsenheimer
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Presenting Minnesota’s efforts to establish regulations for natural hydrogen production
- Highlighting the role of active exploration in rift systems and iron ranges in shaping regulatory priorities
- Mapping the complexities of developing oversight in a state without prior oil and gas regulation
- Discussing current rulemaking activities and key milestones through May 2026
13:55 - 14:00
Q&A SESSION ON STATE-LEVEL APPROACHES TO NATURAL HYDROGEN OVERSIGHT
14:00 - 14:25
GLOBAL DRILLING FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
Allegra Hosford Scheirer
Geomodeling Solutions LLC
- Compiling approximately 20 exploratory natural hydrogen wells drilled worldwide to date
- Characterizing hydrogen concentrations from trace levels to above 95% across prospects
- Summarizing associated gases, including helium, while linking compositions to geologic contexts
- Profiling drilling outcomes and early success indicators while informing future exploration
14:25 - 14:30
Q&A SESSION ON GLOBAL DATA AND LEARNINGS FROM NATURAL HYDROGEN DRILLING CAMPAIGNS
14:30 - 15:00
AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
15:00 - 15:25
COMMERCIALIZING LOW-CARBON HYDROGEN: PRODUCTION WITH ENGINEERED MINERAL HYDROGEN
Colin McCulley
Vema Hydrogen
- Providing an overview of engineered mineral hydrogen as a scalable low-carbon hydrogen production pathway
- Addressing adoption challenges by discussing cost, energy intensity, and infrastructure needs across hydrogen markets
- Presenting pilot well results and operational learnings from early commercial deployment in North America
- Connecting engineered mineral hydrogen to grid stability, cost reduction, and long-term clean energy supply
15:25 - 15:30
Q&A SESSION ON COST AND SCALABILITY OF EMERGING HYDROGEN PATHWAYS
15:30 - 15:55
NEW LIFE AT THE END OF LIFE: TRANSITIONING OIL PRODUCTION TO CLEAN HYDROGEN
Paul Sandhu
ProtonH2
- Repurposing mature oil production sites for hydrogen and power generation at scale
- Enabling near-term commercial deployment through existing infrastructure, regulatory pathways, and available incentives
- Driving value creation from asset reuse, including extended production life cycles and improved financing outcomes
- Evaluating carbon intensity performance, including results below SMR and pathways toward net-negative emissions with subsurface capture
15:55 - 16:00
Q&A SESSION ON SCALING HYDROGEN THROUGH ASSET REUSE AND EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
16:00 - 16:25
HYDROGEN DRILLING INNOVATIONS AND HYDROGEN-READY CEMENT FOR WELL INTEGRITY
Jesse West
SLB
- Examining well integrity challenges from hydrogen exposure, including permeability, durability, and material degradation risks
- Presenting hydrogen-ready cement systems enabling safe conversion of existing gas wells and supporting new hydrogen developments
- Detailing a phased experimental program evaluating cement performance under hydrogen across pressure, temperature, and brine conditions
- Showcasing results from self-healing cement systems, improving reliability for underground hydrogen storage applications
16:25 - 16:30
Q&A SESSION ON HYDROGEN STORAGE WELL INTEGRITY CHALLENGES
16:30 - 17:30
NETWORKING DRINKS RECEPTION
Day 2 :
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026
09:00 - 09:30
MORNING REFRESHMENTS
09:30 - 09:40
OPENING ADDRESS
09:40 - 10:05
DISCIPLINED EXPLORATION FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN – REDUCING UNCERTAINTY BEFORE DRILLING
Emmanuel Masini
Mantle8
- Introducing a system-level geological approach for managing complexity in natural hydrogen exploration
- Applying integrated, low-impact exploration methods to reduce subsurface uncertainty early
- Establishing industrial-scale control through improved data quality, predictability, and decision-making
- Improving capital efficiency while strengthening environmental outcomes through disciplined exploration
10:05 - 10:10
Q&A SESSION ON DE-RISKING NATURAL HYDROGEN EXPLORATION
10:10 - 10:35
FROM STRANDED HYDROCARBONS TO A PRODUCTIVE HYDROGEN SUBSURFACE PLAYBOOK
Prab S. Sekhon
Eclipse Energy
- Reframing depleted oil and gas reservoirs as hydrogen assets using biology, reservoir engineering, and existing infrastructure
- Outlining subsurface hydrogen development pathways and the practical requirements for deployment at scale
- Emphasizing carbon intensity and levelized costs as key metrics shaping commercial viability over time
10:35 - 10:40
Q&A SESSION ON SUBSURFACE HYDROGEN PATHWAYS AND COMMERCIAL METRICS
10:40 - 11:05
GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN GENERATION IN ULTRAMAFIC-HOSTED SYSTEMS IN STAGES AND WAVES
Tucker Ely
39 Alpha Research
- Geologic hydrogen generation occurs broadly in two reversible stages
- Stage one produces ~ µmol quantities of hydrogen per kilogram of rock, and is controlled by the oxidation state of the initial fluid and the mass ratio of water to reacting rock in the system
- Stage two follows, and can produce 10s to 100s of mmol hydrogen per kilogram of rock. The onset of stage two is controlled by the ratio of magnesium to silica in the reacted rock
- The onset of stage two is reversible, and can cause systems to naturally produce hydrogen in waves that oscillate between stage one and stage two
11:05 - 11:10
Q&A SESSION ON STAGED AND OSCILLATING GEOLOGIC HYDROGEN GENERATION
11:10 - 11:30
MORNING COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA
Sponsored By BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
11:30 - 12:00
PANEL DISCUSSION ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN OIL & GAS AND NATURAL HYDROGEN SECTORS
- Balancing legacy technology reuse with innovation pathways and timelines for scaling natural hydrogen markets
- Assessing conventional exploration tools’ applicability and risks of misapplying oil and gas analogs to natural hydrogen systems
- Adapting shale-style techno-economics and oil and gas commercialization models for scalable, bankable natural hydrogen development
- Defining repeatable hydrogen development models leveraging oil and gas playbooks for scalable, cost-effective deployment pathways
| Greenberg Traurig, LLP | Moderator
| SLB
| Geomodeling Solutions LLC
| GeoKiln
| Eclipse Energy
12:00 - 12:25
HYDROGEN AND HELIUM SYSTEMS: CHARACTERISTICS AND CAVEATS FOR SUBSURFACE HYDROGEN
Steven Tedesco
Running Foxes Energy Inc.
- Reviewing existing drilling data and its implications for understanding hydrogen and helium subsurface systems
- Identifying key technical concerns, including flow rates, free hydrogen availability, and production consistency
- Exploring potential solutions, such as catalytic methods aimed at enhancing hydrogen release and extraction
12:25 - 12:30
Q&A SESSION ON TECHNICAL RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN SUBSURFACE HYDROGEN
12:30 - 12:55
COMPREHENSIVE 4E EVALUATION OF AN INTEGRATED LIQUEFACTION SYSTEM FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN
Jihyun Hwang
Korea Institute of Energy Technology
- Describing an integrated process for separating and liquefying natural hydrogen and natural gas from well gas streams
- Evaluating heat transfer curves using methods applied to validate the design and performance of critical liquefaction equipment
- Applying energy and exergy analysis techniques to confirm thermodynamic efficiency across the overall system
- Quantifying economic factors by examining cost drivers, scalability, and commercial readiness
12:55 - 13:00
Q&A SESSION ON TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC INSIGHTS FOR NATURAL HYDROGEN
13:00 - 13:25
ENGINEERING INTELLIGENCE AGENTS FOR HYDROGEN WELL DESIGN
Robello Samuel
iDrillWell
- Translating hydrogen occurrence, pressure, and migration uncertainty into robust well design decisions
- Propagating uncertainty through well engineering workflows to strengthen drilling and storage plans
- Refining well designs in real time during operations while establishing safe operating envelopes
13:25 - 13:30
Q&A SESSION ON SAFE OPERATING ENVELOPES FOR H2 WELLS
13:30 - 13:45
FEEDBACK AND RAFFLE DRAW
13:45 - 15:00
NETWORKING LUNCH
Become a Speaker & Join the Conversation
SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES
By submitting, you agree to receive email communications from the event organizers, including upcoming promotions and discounted tickets, news, and access to related events.