Colorado's Hidden Hydrogen: Primary Hydrogen Corp Eyes Big Potential at Dove Creek

A quiet town, a bold energy move

In a time when clean energy headlines are dominated by wind farms, solar fields, and high-profile hydrogen hubs, a more low-key but equally ambitious player is making moves in the American West. Primary Hydrogen Corp is shining a light on a lesser-known part of the hydrogen story—natural hydrogen, straight from deep within the Earth.

And they’ve zeroed in on a spot in Colorado’s Paradox Basin that might just hold the key.

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The Dove Creek project: what’s going on?

Primary Hydrogen’s Dove Creek project is still in the early stages, but the company is optimistic. The team is pulling together existing geological data and preparing for an in-depth field exploration program aimed at proving the site’s potential. The goal? To confirm that natural hydrogen is not only present—but can be trapped, stored, and extracted in meaningful quantities.

Benjamin Asuncion, CEO of Primary Hydrogen Corp, described the move as a core part of the company’s broader game plan.

We are excited to advance our Dove Creek project as part of our broader strategy to establish Primary Hydrogen as a leader in natural hydrogen exploration.

That may sound ambitious, but the geological data backing it is solid.

Why this location?

The site sits roughly 32 miles north of Dove Creek and 19 miles west of Naturita, Colorado. It’s nestled in the Paradox Basin, historically known for its oil and gas resources—but now drawing attention for what lies even deeper.

The area offers good infrastructure, plenty of road access, and proximity to services. That makes it easier to get boots on the ground—and if things go well, to build something more permanent.

Four reasons Primary is betting on Dove Creek

1. Proven hydrogen generation

The basement rocks here are rich in uranium, which supports hydrogen generation through radiolysis. That’s a process where natural radiation splits water molecules underground, producing hydrogen. Previous surveys in the area already found higher-than-normal concentrations of hydrogen and helium—encouraging signs.

2. Serpentinization potential

This isn’t just a cool geology term. When certain rocks like peridotite interact with water, a chemical reaction called serpentinization produces hydrogen. Magnetic and gravimetric readings suggest these rock types are deep beneath Dove Creek, adding more weight to the case.

3. Well-defined migration pathways

You can’t capture hydrogen unless it travels. The Dove Creek site has complex fault systems—synclines, anticlines, and deep-seated fractures—that may allow hydrogen to move from deep sources into more accessible zones.

4. Strong trapping conditions

Once hydrogen reaches a reservoir, it needs to stay there. This site has thick salt layers acting as cap rocks—impermeable barriers that help trap gases underground. Combined with porous rock formations below, it’s a recipe for potential hydrogen buildup.

It’s about geology—and timing

The company is looking at more than just a science project. The bigger vision is to show that natural hydrogen can be a scalable, low-impact addition to the clean energy mix, especially as interest in hydrogen soars worldwide.

The recent 2025 USGS hydrogen prospectivity report has validated the kind of geology found at Dove Creek, giving companies like Primary a nudge to move faster. And unlike hydrogen produced through electrolysis or fossil-fuel reforming, natural hydrogen doesn’t require massive energy inputs to produce—it’s already there, waiting to be tapped.

Benjamin Asuncion emphasized the significance of this moment for Primary Hydrogen.

The presence of key geological indicators—validated by the 2025 USGS hydrogen prospectivity report—reinforces the potential for a significant hydrogen system. We look forward to executing our exploration program and further unlocking value in this emerging energy sector.

Natural hydrogen: overlooked, but not for long

For years, natural hydrogen (sometimes called gold hydrogen) has been off the radar. Most hydrogen headlines have focused on green, blue, or grey hydrogen, depending on how the gas is produced and whether emissions are captured.

But recent discoveries—from Mali to Australia—have shown that naturally occurring hydrogen might be more abundant than once thought. And it could offer a cleaner, more affordable path to hydrogen-based energy, especially for hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

Primary Hydrogen is one of a small but growing number of companies racing to turn that potential into reality.

What comes next?

The Dove Creek project is still in its exploration phase. But with infrastructure in place and promising signals from past surveys, Primary is gearing up for a full-fledged field program.

If they find what they’re hoping for, this could mark one of the first meaningful steps toward natural hydrogen production in North America. It’s early—but the implications could be big.

And in a town most people have never heard of, the clean energy story might be about to take a surprising turn.