Reis Humberto

Specialist on Tectonics/Structural Geology, Basin analysis, Petroleum and Hydrogen systems

BSc degree on Geology by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) at 2008, Msc and PhD degrees by the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto of Brazil at 2011 and 2016, respectively. Acted as exploration geologist at Petra Energia S.A. between 2011 and 2015, where became Deputy asset leader working on subjects including basin tectonics, conventional and unconventional petroleum systems, stratigraphy and geochemistry. Professor at the Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM) between 2015 and 2018 and the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP) between 2018 and 2022, teaching Structural Geology/Tectônics and Field Geology. Currently, is Scientific Director and Independent Consulting at HR Consulting Energy and Geosciences Ltda. and Senior Researcher at Computer Sciences and Geology departments of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil. He is specialist on Tectonics/Structural Geology and Basin Analysis and is fully dedicated to the understanding of evolution of sedimentary basins and fold-thrust belts, as well as their petroleum, natural hydrogen and mineral systems. He has also been focusing on the application of the Artificial Intelligence on solving petroleum geology problems. In the last years, has been working as consultant for national and international energy, mineral and environmental companies and collaborating with multiple research institutions. Published more than 40 papers, book chapters and technical notes, has given dozens of talks and undergraduate- to graduate-level courses.  He is a voting member of the Brazilian and International Stratigraphy commissions, associate editor of the Brazilian Journal of Geology (BJG) and is member of the International Energy Agency (IEA/OCDE) TCP in charge of natual hydrogen. Musician since 2022.

November 26, 2024 - 11h30 - 12h30
What is happening in Brazil? - Defining and exploring natural hydrogen plays in ancient sedimentary basins
In recent years, natural hydrogen has become a major target for exploring new, low-carbon natural resources. Remarkable occurrences have been reported in almost all continents in different tectonic settings, ranging from oceanic ridges, old and modern orogenic systems, cratons and different types of sedimentary basins. Natural hydrogen shows have been documented in Brazilian onshore sedimentary basins as continuous emissions in circular surface depressions (fairy circles) and as gases produced in old wells drilled during hydrocarbon exploration campaigns. Anomalous concentrations were found in the Paleozoic Solimões, Paraná, and Parnaíba basins, in the Mesozoic Tacutu rift and in the Proterozoic to Mesozoic São Francisco basin. The hydrogen concentrations may vary from a few to up to c.1000 ppm at the surface and from 0,45 up to 40% in hydrocarbon wells, where they are usually associated with remarkable amounts of helium, alkanes and nitrogen. Although showing different ages and geological histories, all sedimentary basins share a series of common features. The studied cases were developed in cratonic lithosphere, corresponding to depocenters underlain by ancient or fossil rifts or representing fossil rifts developed in the Phanerozoic. Showing gas accumulations hosted by different types of conventional and unconventional reservoirs, these basins also host remarkable bodies of Mesozoic sills and dykes emplaced either during the Mesozoic Central Atlantic or the South Atlantic events. In the Paleozoic basins, these intrusions offered the heat to generate hydrocarbons from organic-rich rocks also trapping and sealing natural gas accumulations in some cases. Since most of these sedimentary basins are intracratonic in nature, their strata cover and may also contain large volumes of potential natural hydrogen sources such as ultramafic-rich greenstone belt successions, basic to ultrabasic intrusions, overmature organic-rich rocks and other iron-rich assemblages. Helium and noble gases isotopes measured in samples of the São Francisco basin and samples from its Archean basement also indicate a strong crustal component for the helium and, by consequence, important radiolytic components for the hydrogen (Flude et al. 2020, 2021, Magalhães et al. 2021). When compared with West African and Australian evidence, as well as North American occurrences, they show several similarities including i) the tectonic evolution and styles, ii) architecture and formation mechanisms, iii) potential reservoirs and seals, iv) potential sources, among others. The studied Brazilian cases and correlatives seem to reveal prolific fault- and fold-related natural hydrogen plays that might be associated or not with the compressional reactivation of preexisting normal faults, as well as four-way closing magmatic intrusions. In many observed cases, the structural architecture seems to favor the effective connection with shallower surface and underground water. If confirmed by future natural hydrogen exploration and discoveries, all of these characteristics also confirm the similarities between the natural hydrogen system and hydrocarbon and mineral systems typically described in sedimentary basins.Co-authors:Olivier Lhote, Tiphaine Fargetton, Catherine Formento, Stephane Galibert and Tiphayne Tual​Affiliation:  Storengy-ENGIE, Bois-Colombes, Île-de-France, France
60 MIN

In recent years, natural hydrogen has become a major target for exploring new, low-carbon natural resources. Remarkable occurrences have been reported in almost all continents in different tectonic settings, ranging from oceanic ridges, old and modern orogenic systems, cratons and different types of sedimentary basins. Natural hydrogen shows have been documented in Brazilian onshore sedimentary basins as continuous emissions in circular surface depressions (fairy circles) and as gases produced in old wells drilled during hydrocarbon exploration campaigns. Anomalous concentrations were found in the Paleozoic Solimões, Paraná, and Parnaíba basins, in the Mesozoic Tacutu rift and in the Proterozoic to Mesozoic São Francisco basin. The hydrogen concentrations may vary from a few to up to c.1000 ppm at the surface and from 0,45 up to 40% in hydrocarbon wells, where they are usually associated with remarkable amounts of helium, alkanes and nitrogen. Although showing different ages and geological histories, all sedimentary basins share a series of common features. The studied cases were developed in cratonic lithosphere, corresponding to depocenters underlain by ancient or fossil rifts or representing fossil rifts developed in the Phanerozoic. Showing gas accumulations hosted by different types of conventional and unconventional reservoirs, these basins also host remarkable bodies of Mesozoic sills and dykes emplaced either during the Mesozoic Central Atlantic or the South Atlantic events. In the Paleozoic basins, these intrusions offered the heat to generate hydrocarbons from organic-rich rocks also trapping and sealing natural gas accumulations in some cases. Since most of these sedimentary basins are intracratonic in nature, their strata cover and may also contain large volumes of potential natural hydrogen sources such as ultramafic-rich greenstone belt successions, basic to ultrabasic intrusions, overmature organic-rich rocks and other iron-rich assemblages. Helium and noble gases isotopes measured in samples of the São Francisco basin and samples from its Archean basement also indicate a strong crustal component for the helium and, by consequence, important radiolytic components for the hydrogen (Flude et al. 2020, 2021, Magalhães et al. 2021). When compared with West African and Australian evidence, as well as North American occurrences, they show several similarities including i) the tectonic evolution and styles, ii) architecture and formation mechanisms, iii) potential reservoirs and seals, iv) potential sources, among others. The studied Brazilian cases and correlatives seem to reveal prolific fault- and fold-related natural hydrogen plays that might be associated or not with the compressional reactivation of preexisting normal faults, as well as four-way closing magmatic intrusions. In many observed cases, the structural architecture seems to favor the effective connection with shallower surface and underground water. If confirmed by future natural hydrogen exploration and discoveries, all of these characteristics also confirm the similarities between the natural hydrogen system and hydrocarbon and mineral systems typically described in sedimentary basins.

Co-authors:

Olivier LhoteTiphaine Fargetton, Catherine Formento, Stephane Galibert and Tiphayne Tual

Affiliation:  Storengy-ENGIE, Bois-Colombes, Île-de-France, France

Reis Humberto

HR Consulting Energy and Geosciences Ltda.

Director and founder

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