About Us
At the frontier of natural hydrogen exploration.
Snowfox Discovery is an exploration company pioneering the discovery and development of natural hydrogen; a potential game-changer in the transition to net zero.
A spinout from Durham and Oxford Universities, and backed by early-stage funding from Oxford Science Enterprises, Snowfox was co-founded by leading geoscientists, seasoned explorers, and deep-tech innovators. Now funded by world leading investors across our full value chain.
At our core is a commitment to exploration excellence. We combine cutting-edge research with decades of on-the-ground experience to unlock a new, untapped natural resource; building the tools and technology that will define the future of hydrogen exploration.
With the climate clock ticking, we believe natural hydrogen represents one of the most promising and under-explored frontiers in energy. Our mission is to safely explore for and discover economic volumes of natural hydrogen bringing its potential to life.
Board of directors
Board of directors
Leadership & Team
Scientific Advisors
Backed by world-leading investors and institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Natural hydrogen is generated in the continental crust when water reacts with common iron-rich volcanic rocks, forming iron oxide and hydrogen. Natural hydrogen is also formed when radioactive elements contained within rocks emit radiation that splits a water molecule into oxygen and hydrogen. The rocks react with the oxygen leaving hydrogen. Both processes can build up significant amounts of hydrogen on geological timescales.
Different geological combinations that generate and accumulate natural hydrogen can be found globally. Snowfox understands the processes that control these features and is identifying the most likely places to discover economically significant hydrogen resources.
It is only in the last decade that the amount of hydrogen generated by the Earth’s continents was realised. With awareness of society’s need to decarbonise, interest in naturally occurring hydrogen has increased. A hydrogen gas field discovered in Mali in 1987 has recently been developed to supply local power needs, demonstrating that natural hydrogen resources are a reality.
Snowfox modelling tells us so. Natural hydrogen production uses established technologies. It is projected to cost significantly less than hydrogen manufactured by electrolysis using wind or solar (green) hydrogen. Natural hydrogen competes on price with carbon-intensive ‘grey’ hydrogen, which is the predominant method of manufacture today.
Estimates vary substantially because we are still in the early stages of exploration. Snowfox expects only a fraction of the hydrogen generated in the continents to be trapped and preserved. However, because so much has been generated, even a small fraction will be enough to mitigate the current use of carbon-intensive 'grey' hydrogen.
Hydrogen behaves in a similar way to other gases. Once it has been generated in the Earth's crust, it rises towards the surface. Along the way it may become trapped by an impermeable layer of rock and accumulate underground, forming a gas field. It is accessed by drilling and produced from wells.
Yes. Modelling shows that natural hydrogen has the potential to have the lowest carbon intensity. This is because there is no need to manufacture the hydrogen by the chemical reactions required in ‘grey’ or ‘green’ hydrogen. Processes forming natural hydrogen in the Earth’s crust generate zero carbon. Natural hydrogen’s low emissions mostly come from the associated equipment and processes used to extract the hydrogen from the ground.
Today, hydrogen is a U$170bn industry, producing 95 million tonnes used per year. It is a vital, irreplaceable chemical feedstock for ammonia, methanol and in metal refining. Fertiliser produced from the ammonia contributes to feeding half of the global population. Tomorrow's hydrogen demand will significantly expand with an increased range of uses including as a clean-burning fuel.
