THE Department of Energy (DOE) said Monday that Koloma Inc. — a United States-based natural hydrogen exploration firm and the operator of Service Contract (SC) No. 84 — has begun a 2D seismic survey in Pangasinan for possible indigenous energy sources for the Philippines.
The survey, covering 132.6 line-kilometers starting in Bugallon town, will generate detailed images of underground rock formations to help pinpoint areas that may contain naturally occurring hydrogen and guide future exploration work, the DOE said.
“We will get the assessment in around two or six months. It’s that complicated. So, I think by the end of the year, we will see what is the potential of hydrogen in the Philippines, if it has volume or not,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in an online media briefing.
DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said Koloma is investing $8 to $9 million for the exploration phase, including the drilling of an exploration well. Under the government’s system, the company has seven years to complete its exploration program across its two contracts, SC 83 and SC 84.
Sales said native hydrogen, if found in commercially viable volumes, could add to the country’s indigenous energy sources and support its clean energy transition.
“In terms of estimates about how much [native hydrogen] there is, we still have no idea on the volume alone, [or] even an idea if it will be commercial,” Sales admitted.
“But the utilization of hydrogen is straightforward and has lots of uses,” he said, citing its potential use in power turbines, fuel cells, and fertilizer production.
Prior to the seismic survey, Koloma had acquired 27,976.5 line-kilometers of aero-gravity and magnetics survey data from March to early June this year.
The company is also conducting exploration under adjacent SC 83, which covers parts of Zambales.
Koloma was awarded SC 83 (126,656 hectares) and SC 84 (85,082 hectares) for native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon in October 2025.