NATURAL HYDROGEN & HELIUM EXPLORATION
CASE STUDY: FONTS BOUILLANTS
This study was one of the first attempts to use geophysical methods to explore natural hydrogen and helium resources in Europe. The results are another example of how the skills and PaleoScan™ workflows used in conventional oil and gas exploration can be successfully adapted to support low-carbon exploration.
CASE STUDY AT A GLANCE
LOCATION
Paris Basin, Onshore France
SURFACE AREA
251 KM2
AGE OF SEDIMENT
Triassic to Jurassic
GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Intra-cratonic basin
DEPOSITIONAL ENV.
Mainly continental (Triassic)
MAIN CHALLENGES
Low signal:noise onshore data; imaging terminations along faults; co-interpreting diverse geophysical data
LOCATION
Fonts-Bouillants is located in the eastern part of the Paris Basin, near the town of Montmirail in northeastern France, 270 kilometers south of Paris in the Nievre department.
AUTHOR
Marc-Antoine Dupont
Senior Geoscientist
SYNOPSIS
Located in the Paris Basin, Fonts-Bouillants is France’s first dedicated project for helium and natural hydrogen exploration. Known for its naturally sparkling water, the site is now being re-evaluated using adapted Oil & Gas workflows for renewable gas resources.
This case study highlights how PaleoScan™ integrates and interprets multi-source data—including seismic, CSEM, ERT, and gravimetry—to identify promising accumulations. Using tools such as RGT modelling, fault extraction, and stratal slicing, three zones of interest were identified. A shallow target confirmed the presence of helium-rich gas.
Despite challenging data quality, the study demonstrates how PaleoScan™ supports the transition to low-carbon exploration through efficient and scalable subsurface workflows.
KEY TOPICS
- Multi-source data integration for energy transition
- Structural interpretation with low SNR data
- RGT and stratal slicing for shallow gas detection
- Geobody extraction and helium prospecting
Multi-source data integration
Semi-automated structural & stratigraphic workflow
3D geobody extraction
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