Element One Advances Natural Hydrogen Exploration and Generation Technology

Important Disclosures:

1. Element One Hydrogen & Critical Minerals Corp. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports. The company pays a monthly sponsorship fee of US$3,000–US$6,000 for banner advertising and an enhanced company profile page. Streetwise Reports’ editorial content is fully independent and is not influenced by sponsorship. In addition, Element One Hydrogen & Critical Minerals Corp. has a consulting relationship with Street Smart an affiliate of Streetwise Reports. Street Smart Clients pay a monthly consulting fee between US$8,000 and US$20,000.
2. As of the date of this article, officers, contractors, shareholders, and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Element One Hydrogen & Critical Minerals Corp.
3. Cori Fisher wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee. 
4. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. 

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1. Ownership and Share Structure Information

The information listed above was updated on the date this article was published and was compiled from information from the company and various other data providers.

Key Takeaways

• Element One is pursuing both natural hydrogen exploration and technology to stimulate hydrogen generation from iron-rich rock.
• The company intends to evaluate hydrogen-generating source rocks, migration pathways, potential reservoirs, and geological traps and seals in British Columbia and Alaska.
• Element One is conducting laboratory research on geologic hydrogen stimulation and critical mineral recovery.
• The company increased its LIFE private placement to 7 million units at CA$0.10 per unit for potential gross proceeds of CA$700,000.
• Element One is also pursuing magnesium and critical minerals opportunities alongside its natural hydrogen strategy.

Exploration Targets Underground Hydrogen Systems

On September 10, 2026, Element One Hydrogen & Critical Minerals Corp. (EONE:CSE) provided a dual-pathway strategy for pursuing opportunities in the emerging natural hydrogen market, combining exploration for naturally accumulated hydrogen with research into technology to stimulate hydrogen generation from iron-rich rock.

The company is pursuing two complementary approaches:

• Exploration for naturally accumulated hydrogen that may have migrated through the subsurface and become trapped in geological formations that could be extracted using methods similar to traditional oil and gas drilling; and
• Stimulation of hydrogen generation from iron-rich hard rock, using technology intended to accelerate in real time naturally occurring water-rock reactions known as serpentinization.

Element One hopes to apply its exploration approach to areas of interest in British Columbia and Alaska to test hydrogen-generating source rocks, migration pathways, potential reservoirs, and geological traps and seals.

The company is also conducting laboratory research into geologic hydrogen stimulation through its agreement with Stone to H2 Inc. and sponsored research relationship with Columbia University. The research is examining whether iron-rich rocks can support hydrogen generation alongside the recovery of minerals such as magnesium and nickel.

"Our strategy is not dependent on a single theory of how the natural hydrogen industry will develop," commented Brad Kitchen, CEO and President of Element One. "We are advancing the tools required to search for accumulated hydrogen while also supporting the development of technology intended to generate hydrogen directly from reactive hard-rock systems."

Kitchen continued, saying: "We believe this dual approach is one of Element One's most important competitive advantages. It gives our shareholders exposure to both sides of the emerging natural hydrogen opportunity-exploration and technology-while creating the potential to recover valuable critical minerals from the same geological systems."

In other news, Element One increased its previously announced LIFE private placement to 7 million units at CA$0.10 per unit, for potential gross proceeds of CA$700,000. The first tranche has closed at 3.5 million units, with each unit consisting of one common share and one warrant exercisable at CA$0.20 per share for 36 months from the date that is 61 days following the closing date of the LIFE offering.

As a company, Element One is dedicated to developing an integrated natural hydrogen strategy and growing a portfolio of critical minerals exploration opportunities in both British Columbia and the U.S. Kitchen referred to the company's mission, saying: "We are developing an integrated platform spanning natural hydrogen exploration, proprietary hydrogen-generation technology, domestic magnesium feedstock, and innovative critical-minerals recovery technology."

Natural Hydrogen Gains Attention as a Potential Energy Source

As a clean energy alternative, natural hydrogen could have the potential to replace or supplement oil and gas. In a conversation with Element One CEO Brad Kitchen on April 14, 2026, Kitchen told Streetwise Reports that natural hydrogen could be produced using their proprietary process for a fraction of the cost of oil and gas. When given the example of US$4.20 per gallon of gas, Kitchen asserted that the same amount of energy could potentially be produced through natural hydrogen for less than US$1. If the product can be gathered and processed on location, which Kitchen seems optimistic about, independent energy could be generated to run mines in remote places or provide rural communities with energy at a much lower cost.

Due to the abundance of ultramafic rocks, which Kitchen said make up about 7% of the Earth, and the carbon-friendly nature of getting natural hydrogen, "There comes a point where it would make more sense to run the world on hydrogen than on oil and gas," Kitchen said. "We're really the leading edge in this technology, and the big thing is it's not some brand-new discovery. It's simply creating natural hydrogen in real time." 

In June of 2025, reports were already coming out about the potential future of natural hydrogen. The Royal Society quoted Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar CC, FRS, as saying, "Hydrogen is already a US$135 billion industry and is a key component in critical industries such as fertilizer production. As the world searches for cleaner energy options, natural hydrogen could also offer a low-cost, low-carbon addition to our toolkit."

Emerging technologies are making hydrogen a viable fuel for cars, planes, ships, and factories. Hydrogen demand around the world is projected to grow from around 90 million metric tons in 2022 to more than 500 million metric tons by 2050," said Fuel Cells Works.

Fuel Cells Works reported that the U.S. Geological Survey estimates there could be more than 5 trillion metric tons of geological hydrogen underground around the world. But only a small fraction of that is estimated to be recoverable, both technically and in terms of reasonable costs. However, even 2% of that total would be more than all proven natural gas reserves on the planet and enough to meet projected demand for the next 200 years, even accounting for increased consumption.

In terms of price, Fuel Cells Works argued that the cost could be well worth the rewards: "Because geological processes already performed the production work, early estimates suggest that extraction costs could be one‑tenth the production costs for other traditional hydrogen generation techniques — or possibly even less than that."

The scope for hydrogen uses and demands has the potential to expand into both commercial and private consumer industries. "At present, hydrogen demand is mostly from large industrial facilities like petroleum refineries and ammonia plants. Decarbonization efforts could create hydrogen demand from other large industrial buyers but also from smaller, local hydrogen-offtake ventures like vehicle fueling hubs," asserted a scientific research paper by Arnout JW. Everts, Jos Bonnie, and Ramon Loosveld for The International Journal of Hydrogen Energy in June 2025.

The other half of Element One's portfolio consists of magnesium exploration and production. Domestically, "Magnesium is designated as a critical mineral by both the United States and Canada and is essential for aerospace, automotive, defense, aluminum alloys, batteries, and lightweight manufacturing. North America currently imports an overwhelming majority of its magnesium supply, creating a strategic opportunity for domestic production."

The magnesium metals market is segmented, including products like magnesium alloys, magnesium compounds, pure magnesium, etc. According to a June 1, 2026, report by SNS Insider, the magnesium market was valued at US$5.60 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach US$9.52 billion by 2035.

Pilot Testing and Demonstration Plans Ahead

Element One's investor presentation breaks down the company's next steps into three categories: targeting acquisitions, technologies, and development.

The presentation outlines the company's acquisition strategy as follows: "research into prospective areas in the continental U.S. outside of the Midcontinental hot spot, inspecting geologically modeled highly prospective areas near established oil and gas infrastructure, and assessing land acquisition and leasing costs."

Over the next few months, Element One plans to finalize the scope of pilot-scale testing for its magnesium and critical minerals project with Revora, as well as continue preliminary evaluation of the proposed Washington State demonstration facility, including engineering requirements, infrastructure, feedstock logistics, permitting considerations, capital requirements, and potential production scenarios.

Ownership & Share Information¹

Element One Hydrogen & Critical Minerals Corp. has a market cap of approximately CA$3.41 million, with 62.04 million shares outstanding. The company's 52-week range is approximately CA$0.055-CA$0.315. Strategic Investors own 8.97% of shares, while Management & Insiders own 7.81%. The remaining 83.22% of shares are Retail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Element One's natural hydrogen strategy?
A: Element One is pursuing two approaches: exploring for naturally accumulated hydrogen and researching technology designed to stimulate hydrogen generation from iron-rich rock.

Q: Where is Element One exploring for natural hydrogen?
A: The company is evaluating areas of interest in British Columbia and Alaska, including potential hydrogen-generating source rocks, migration pathways, reservoirs, and geological traps.

Q: What is Element One researching with Stone to H2 and Columbia University?
A: The research is examining whether iron-rich rocks can be used to generate hydrogen through accelerated water-rock reactions while potentially recovering minerals such as magnesium and nickel.

Q: What is Element One's latest financing?
A: Element One increased its LIFE private placement to 7 million units at CA$0.10 per unit for potential gross proceeds of CA$700,000. The first tranche consisted of 3.5 million units.

Q: What are the next catalysts for Element One?
A: Upcoming work includes evaluating potential U.S. natural hydrogen opportunities, advancing pilot-scale testing for its magnesium and critical minerals project with Revora, and evaluating a potential Washington State demonstration facility.

Q: What other critical minerals is Element One pursuing?
A: In addition to natural hydrogen, Element One is developing opportunities involving magnesium and other critical-mineral recovery technologies.

Q: What is natural hydrogen?
A: Natural hydrogen, also called geological or geologic hydrogen, is hydrogen that forms naturally underground through geological processes rather than being produced through industrial methods.

Q: How is natural hydrogen formed?
A: One mechanism involves water reacting with iron-rich rocks in a process known as serpentinization. These reactions can generate hydrogen as well as alter the surrounding minerals.

Q: What is serpentinization?
A: Serpentinization is a water-rock reaction in which certain iron- and magnesium-rich rocks, particularly ultramafic rocks, are chemically altered. Hydrogen can be produced as part of the process.

Q: What is geologic hydrogen exploration?
A: Geologic hydrogen exploration involves identifying geological settings where hydrogen may have been generated, migrated, and accumulated underground, using techniques similar in some respects to conventional oil and gas exploration.

Q: Why is natural hydrogen attracting interest?
A: Natural hydrogen is being investigated as a potential low-carbon energy source because geological processes can generate hydrogen underground, potentially reducing the need for some energy-intensive industrial production methods.

Q: What is magnesium used for?
A: Magnesium is used in applications including aerospace, automotive manufacturing, defense, aluminum alloys, batteries, and lightweight materials. It is designated as a critical mineral by both the United States and Canada.