Objective Natural hydrogen is a significant resource, but the limited understanding and research on it at home and abroad result in slow progress in its exploration, development, and utilization. As the global interest grows, many countries are beginning to harness this resources. Developing natural hydrogen has emerged as a crucial pathway for advancing clean energy in the future. The exploration, development, gathering, and transportation of natural hydrogen is the key to the development and utilization of this resources.

Methods Through literature research, the main research progress of natural hydrogen at home and abroad in recent years was reviewed, the formation mechanisms of it were summarized, the current research status of its exploration, development, gathering, and transportation was analyzed, typical global engineering cases were introduced, and finally the key research directions of natural hydrogen in the future were prospected.

Results (1) The formation mechanisms of natural hydrogen are complex and involve various theories, with no unified conclusion currently established. Future research is essential to clarify these mechanisms and provide a theoretical foundation for its exploration. (2) The exploration technology for natural hydrogen should be enhanced through integration with remote sensing, geochemical analysis, geophysical exploration, and petrophysics to improve detection accuracy and efficiency, and to identify potential resource distributions more effectively. (3) China is in the early stages of natural hydrogen development, and assessments of resource quantity and distribution characteristics remain limited. A comprehensive survey and assessment of this resources should be conducted promptly to establish foundational data for future exploration and exploitation. (4) The development, gathering, and transportation of natural hydrogen can leverage existing technologies used in natural gas reservoirs, adapting them in conjunction with hydrogen separation, purification technologies, and supporting storage and transport facilities. (5) Natural hydrogen exploration, underground hydrogen storage, and helium resource development technologies encounter similar technical challenges. Future efforts should focus on the coordinated advancement of these related technologies.

Conclusion The current research status and future development suggestions for natural hydrogen exploration, development, gathering, and transportation technologies are analyzed to provide valuable insights for advancing the natural hydrogen industry and facilitating the energy transition.