HyTerra Limited (ASX: HYT; OTCQB: HYTLF; Frankfurt:8TP0) (HyTerra or the Company) has signed a binding collaboration agreement with GeoKiln Energy Innovation Inc (Geokiln) to advance the frontier of geologic hydrogen commercialization. The partnership represents a significant strategic shift to adopting a hybrid approach between naturally trapped and engineered hydrogen based on reactions downhole to accelerate HyTerra’s USA projects.
The 12-month collaboration will culminate in what both companies describe as a world-first demonstration of engineered geologic hydrogen generation within a drilled wellbore using GeoKiln’s proprietary MSSH™ process.
Technology Meets Natural Hydrogen
HyTerra’s decision to integrate technology into its exploration strategy reflects lessons learnt from the oil and gas sector, where natural oil and gas fields with enhanced recovery techniques proved transformative for project economics (i.e waterfloods, stimulation).
GeoKiln has developed MSSH™ (Manufactured Subsurface Hydrogen), a thermally engineered process designed to accelerate naturally occurring hydrogen reactions in the subsurface. The technology aims to recreate and speed up geological processes that typically occur over millions of years.
The Houston-based company is a 2025 Breakthrough Energy Fellow, a program that backs innovators building climate solutions from the lab bench to real-world deployment.
“We recognise the potential for technology to play a role in the commercialisation of geologic hydrogen,” HyTerra stated in the announcement. “We intend to investigate using a hybrid approach to accelerate naturally occurring hydrogen using technology such as GeoKiln’s MSSH™.”
Figure 1:HyTerra and GeoKiln are focused on acceleration through a hybrid approach, bridging natural and engineered geologic hydrogen
Key Terms of the Agreement
Under the binding agreement, HyTerra and GeoKiln will jointly assess combined data within 90 days of execution. This will be followed by a field assessment to define geological criteria and testing parameters.
The 12-month partnership will conclude with what both companies call a world-first: a live demonstration of engineered geologic hydrogen production within a drilled wellbore, enabled by GeoKiln’s proprietary MSSH™ technology.
Division of responsibilities:
- HyTerra will provide geological data and access to a suitable existing or new well for field demonstration.
- GeoKiln will supply MSSH™ technology and hardware, conduct modelling, well design and field deployment.
- GeoKiln will cover all MSSH™-related expenses, including construction, equipment, mobilisation and operational costs and will obtain all required permits for testing.
The agreement includes standard terms for intellectual property protection, termination, indemnities and limitation of liability.
Global Stage for Kansas Projects
HyTerra had also recently participated in the 2025 HNAT Worldwide Summit in Paris, where Executive Director Avon McIntyre presented at the Investors Day program.
Figure 2: Cover image of HyTerra’s HNAT Summit Investors Day Presentation
The summit represents the largest global gathering focused on geologic hydrogen, providing HyTerra with exposure to international investors. The Company’s quotations on both the OTCQB (HYTLF) and Frankfurt (8TP0) exchanges position it for broader North American and European investor access.
HyTerra’s Executive Director was also invited to provide a keynote speech on Geologic Hydrogen potential at the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Summit in Abu Dhabi.
During the summit, Benjamin Mee, Executive Director of HyTerra, delivered a keynote presentation highlighting the potential of natural (geological) hydrogen as a low-cost, low-carbon energy source. He emphasised leveraging existing oil and gas expertise and infrastructure to establish an integrated hydrogen energy ecosystem in the region.
Renaissance Philanthropy Research Initiative
HyTerra also revealed its selection by Renaissance Philanthropy for the Geologic Hydrogen Open Site Challenge. The initiative invites scientists, universities, national laboratories and nonprofit organisations to propose research projects that deepen understanding of geologic hydrogen generation, flow and storage.
Renaissance Philanthropy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation, will provide all funding for approved research projects. HyTerra can make available Company-approved datasets to enable participants to conduct research without commercial constraints.
“The sector has attracted huge attention, but almost no subsurface data is available for researchers to analyse,” said Avon McIntyre, Executive Director of HyTerra. “While we’ve completed our own analyses on key data acquired during our 2025 exploration campaign, there is much more to learn from additional, less commercially sensitive datasets.”
The arrangement benefits HyTerra through independent validation of geological models while advancing the broader understanding of hydrogen systems.
Kansas Projects Delivering Results
HyTerra’s timing for these strategic partnerships coincides with encouraging exploration results from its Nemaha Project in Kansas.
The Company’s 100% owned and operated leases cover over 80,000 acres above the hydrogen-generating Mid-Continental Rift system. A large exploration campaign was undertaken with airborne, seismic, drilling, logging, and coring data acquired. The exploration wells all found hydrogen and helium and the early appraisal results demonstrated key objectives are capable of flowing. The hydrogen and helium samples analyzed by an independent laboratory had:
- Sue Duroche 3 returned hydrogen and helium concentrations up to 96% and 5%
- Blythe 13-20 returned hydrogen and helium concentrations up to 16.5% and 4.4%
- McCoy 1: returned hydrogen and helium concentrations up to 83% and 5%
At the Geneva Project in Nebraska, where HyTerra holds a 16% earn-in interest through a Joint Development with Natural Hydrogen Energy LLC, Hoerty-1 returned hydrogen and helium concentrations up to 44% and 13%.
These results confirm the presence of a working hydrogen and helium play system near major industrial hubs, including ammonia manufacturers and petrochemical plants, and the leases are only hours away from existing helium infrastructure and plants.
Figure 3: HyTerra’s projects are strategically located near industrial offtakers in Kansas and Nebraska
Market Context: Hydrogen’s Growing Role
The global geologic hydrogen sector is gaining momentum as countries seek low-carbon energy alternatives. Unlike manufactured hydrogen (green, blue or grey), geologic hydrogen is produced naturally within the Earth and potentially offers significantly lower production costs and carbon emissions.
The United States Geological Survey recently released its 2025 Geologic Hydrogen Prospectivity Maps, identifying the Mid-Continental Rift region, where HyTerra operates, as having high combined source potential.
Figure 4: Map of the Midcontinent Rift System
Kansas presents particular advantages for hydrogen commercialisation. The state is the USA’s largest helium producer, but imports anhydrous ammonia from other states. This creates immediate market opportunities for successful hydrogen and helium projects.
Strategic Partnership Momentum
The GeoKiln and Renaissance Philanthropy partnerships follow HyTerra’s $22 million strategic investment from Fortescue in December 2024. The Australian resources major acquired a approx. 40% stake in HyTerra and entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement to progress the Nemaha Project and to explore new opportunities globally.
Figure 5: Fortescue acquired a strategic interest in HyTerra
That funding supports a 12-month exploration program, including continued leasing, advanced geophysical surveys and additional exploration wells.
Industry Outlook
The subsurface hydrogen landscape is still emerging, with activity split between two related but distinct domains: hydrogen generation and underground storage. While the term “subsurface hydrogen production industry” lacks a clearly defined market boundary, it generally aligns with these broader segments.
The global market for hydrogen generation was valued at approximately USD 186.58 billion in 2024 and is expected to climb to about USD 317.39 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 9.3% over the 2025–2030 period. This rapid growth is largely attributed to accelerating clean-energy transitions and increasing government commitments to decarbonisation.
Figure 6: Global hydrogen generation market
Executive Commentary
Mr Alexei Tcherniak, CEO of GeoKiln Energy Innovation, stated: “Our collaboration with HyTerra marks a pivotal moment for the geologic hydrogen industry. By combining our MSSH™ engineering technology with HyTerra’s exploration, appraisal and operational expertise, we are laying the groundwork for the world’s first controlled field demonstration of thermally engineered geologic hydrogen.”
Mr Benjamin Mee, Executive Director of HyTerra, commented: “This key collaboration with GeoKiln is a significant step forward for HyTerra as it brings together two companies that complement each other’s values, skillsets and expertise to deliver commercial outcomes. The goal is to provide additional value for HyTerra shareholders while doing our part to support the geologic hydrogen sector.”
Figure 7: Benjamin Mee, Executive Director of HyTerra
Investor Outlook
HyTerra Limited (ASX: HYT) maintains its position as a leading geologic hydrogen explorer with strategic partnerships, encouraging exploration results and a clear pathway toward commercialization.
Key stock metrics (as of 26th November 2025):
- Share Price: $0.023
- Market Capitalisation: $36.68 Million
- 52-Week Range: $0.017 – $0.048
Figure 8: HyTerra Price Chart
The Company’s dual approach of natural exploration combined with engineered acceleration through the GeoKiln partnership represents a pragmatic strategy for de-risking commercial timelines. With Fortescue’s backing, high-grade hydrogen and helium show across multiple wells, and now technology partnerships to accelerate production, HyTerra is positioning itself at the forefront of the emerging geologic hydrogen sector.
Key upcoming catalysts on GeoKiln partnership:
- Data assessment completion (within 90 days)
- Field assessment and testing parameter definition
- Production testing
- MSSH™ demonstration results (within 12 months)
The 12-month timeline for the MSSH™ demonstration provides a clear catalyst for investors watching this space. Success in proving technology-assisted hydrogen acceleration could transform project economics and commercialisation pathways not just for HyTerra but for the broader geologic hydrogen industry.
