Researchers at Skoltech in Moscow have developed a groundbreaking method to extract clean hydrogen from natural gas fields with 45% efficiency. By injecting steam and a catalyst into gas wells and adding oxygen to ignite the gas, they achieve a process where catalyst-assisted combustion leads to a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with hydrogen easily extractable. This innovation is crucial for speeding up the transition from fossil fuels to eco-friendly hydrogen power, combating carbon emissions and climate change. The approach involves multi-step processes, including burning natural gas in the reservoir with the help of steam and a catalyst, and later extracting hydrogen through a membrane while leaving carbon dioxide trapped underground. Lab experiments simulating real gas reservoir conditions showed promising results, indicating the effectiveness of the method in converting methane into hydrogen. The team also observed how factors like temperature and rock composition influence hydrogen yield, with alumina demonstrating high efficiency due to its inert nature. Elena Mukhina, the project leader, highlights the future plan of testing this method in actual gas fields to validate its potential on a larger scale.