Houston Biotech Startup Will Use Microbes to Make Hydrogen From Oil
Cemvita and Chart Industries are seeking to produce hydrogen at $1 per kilogram by injecting oil-eating microorganisms inside depleted crude reservoirs.
Houston biotech startup Cemvita Factory is partnering with U.S. gas-equipment manufacturer Chart Industries Inc. to use oil-eating microbes to make hydrogen.
The venture, which also includes engineering and consulting firm EXP and the Center for Houston’s Future, plans to deploy the microbes into depleted oil reservoirs that are ready to be plugged and abandoned, the companies said Thursday in an emailed statement. The technology would extend the life of the low-value wells and create a new revenue stream from so-called “gold hydrogen,” which is produced biologically and emissions-free underground.