Mantle8, a geoscience company based in France and specialized in natural hydrogen, has entered into a strategic partnership with the technology and data provider Viridien. The cooperation is intended to accelerate the exploration of natural hydrogen deposits in the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). As part of the partnership, Viridien is also making a financial investment in Mantle8. The focus is on identifying systems that generate hydrogen through geological processes in the Earth's interior, for example from olivine-rich rocks, through the oxidation of iron minerals or from water.
At the heart of the collaboration is access to Viridien’s geological data platform GeoVerse. This platform is intended to support Mantle8 in identifying potential hydrogen deposits. In addition, Mantle8 will use sensor technology from Sercel, a subsidiary of Viridien. These are passive seismic sensors of the WiNG DFU-3C type. They are designed to map underground hydrogen deposits with high precision.
“Europe is blessed with low-emission natural hydrogen, and the pressure to map these resources and start drilling is greater than ever,” said Emmanuel Masini, founder and CEO of Mantle8. “Access to Viridien’s GeoVerse database gives us the data depth we need to accelerate our prospecting work and proceed in a more targeted way.”
Mantle8 had already achieved initial success in the exploration of natural hydrogen deposits. In the Comminges region of the French Pyrenees, the company claims to have detected one of the highest hydrogen concentrations measured to date. Sercel sensors were used in combination with Mantle8’s proprietary HOREX technology. This enables multiphysical imaging of active hydrogen systems. Initial full results are expected to be published in September 2025.
Viridien sees the partnership with Mantle8 as an example of how its technologies can be applied in the context of the energy transition. “Natural hydrogen is an area where our geoscience and data-driven technologies can contribute to achieving climate goals,” said Chris Page, Executive Vice President of Business Development at Viridien.
Mantle8 was founded in 2024 and consists of a team of geoscientists who previously operated under the name M&U. The company holds several exploration licenses for natural hydrogen deposits in Europe. Its goal is to make hydrogen available at a price of €0.80 per kilogram.
