Mantle8 Starts UAE's First Natural Hydrogen Exploration Programme in Ras Al Khaimah

The work follows an agreement with the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Energy that gives Mantle8 an exclusive right to negotiate an exploration contract for Block 7. The programme is expected to last up to 24 months. It starts with marking out the survey area, after which the company will place more than 1,000 passive seismic sensors in the Hajar Mountains.

Mantle8 is paying for the programme itself and has opened a permanent office in Dubai for its Middle East operations. Jean-Valery Garcia was appointed Regional Director, Middle East, in September 2026.

Why Ras Al Khaimah

Natural, or geological, hydrogen forms through processes inside the Earth's crust, unlike hydrogen made from natural gas or by splitting water. Ras Al Khaimah sits at the northern end of the Semail Ophiolite, a large exposed section of oceanic crust. Mantle8 says the area's ultrabasic rocks, active faults and observed hydrogen seeps justify a closer look at whether hydrogen is generated and trapped underground.

"Ras Al Khaimah offers an exceptional geological setting for natural hydrogen exploration," said Emmanuel Masini, Mantle8's founder and chief executive. He added that the company's work points to more mantle formations at depth that could add to the region's potential.

The Technology Involved

The survey will use Mantle8's HOREX 4D passive seismic imaging technology, along with tools it calls GeoLogix and APoGeH. It will be supported by gas, water and rock sampling and by analysis of existing subsurface data. The first stage does not involve drilling. Masini said combining geology, geophysics and geochemistry would show where hydrogen forms and collects before the company commits to drilling.

Garcia said the company's immediate priority was to build "a robust multiphysics model" to guide the next phase of exploration.

What Comes Next

The agreement sets out a path from data collection towards a possible commercial agreement for exploratory drilling and development. Any further work depends on what the survey finds and on a new agreement between Mantle8 and the emirate. The commercial potential of the site has not yet been established.

If commercially viable reservoirs were found, natural hydrogen could offer a lower-emission and lower-cost alternative to manufactured hydrogen. For the UAE, which has a national hydrogen strategy, a domestic geological source would add a new option alongside the low-carbon hydrogen produced from gas and renewables.

The Grenoble-based company's exploration portfolio covers Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Earlier in 2026 it closed a €31 million Series A round to speed up deployment of its exploration technology.