Although Koloma is private and highly secretive, I embarked on a deep research exercise with ChatGPT 4.5. My initial prompt was to look into Koloma’s exploration activities in Kansas with a focus on any publicly available or leaked insights. Including investigating specific roles they're recruiting for and how those roles might relate to third-party data or disclosures.
It's a long read, however, does provide some fantastic insight into what could be ahead for Hyterra.Overview of Koloma’s Kansas Exploration Program
Koloma – a Denver-based startup backed by investors like Breakthrough Energy, Amazon, and Mitsubishi – has embarked on a geologic (natural) hydrogen exploration program in Kansasequitiesclub.com. Through its operating arm High Plains Resources (HPR), Koloma began drilling exploratory wells in late 2022 and 2023 to tap naturally occurring hydrogen (“white” hydrogen) trapped undergroundspglobal.com. Kansas has emerged as a focal point because the Midcontinent geologic region is believed to host hydrogen-rich structures; even the U.S. Geological Survey highlighted this area as a key region with hydrogen potentialspglobal.com. With nearly $400 million in funding raised by early 2024spglobal.com, Koloma announced plans to transition from pure exploration to pilot production of hydrogen in Kansas, making it one of the first movers in this nascent industryspglobal.com.
Despite the high profile, Koloma has been secretive about specifics. The company initially operated in stealth and continues to “not comment on where we are exploring”, according to spokesperson Kristen Delanospglobal.com. However, public records and local reports provide a clearer picture of Koloma’s Kansas activities. In 2024, Koloma signaled confidence in its Kansas findings, with HPR representatives telling local communities that earlier test wells showed encouraging results – including “significant [hydrogen] concentrations in one of their wells in Kansas”spglobal.com – and that the company would soon drill “production wells” to begin actual extractionspglobal.com. The following sections detail Koloma’s Kansas exploration efforts, the roles and expertise it is recruiting to advance this work, and how these hires and partnerships align with its strategic goals and challenges.
Exploration Activities, Permits, and Data in Kansas
Drilling program: Koloma’s HPR conducted an initial five-well test drilling program (2022–2023) in north-central Kansasspglobal.com. These exploratory wells were aimed at mapping the subsurface and confirming the presence of hydrogen. According to HPR’s Jason Rayburn, the first round of wells was “to gather data and understand the subsurface more”spglobal.com. Public well records indicate HPR’s permits and well sites spanned multiple counties. Notably, Marshall and Washington counties (along the Nebraska state line) became a focus for further drilling in 2024spglobal.com. Records show HPR-permitted wells with names like Balsmeier, Carlson Farms, and Hedge Lawn Farms in Marshall County, among othersdrillingedge.com. In fact, Koloma’s “Balsmeier,” “Carlson,” and “Hedge Lawn” wells were later cited by a neighboring explorer as key data sources on local hydrogen prospectshydrogen-central.com. This suggests Koloma’s drilling encountered geologic features of interest, with data significant enough to inform other companies’ plans.
Findings and results: While Koloma has not publicly released well results, some information has emerged. In mid-2024, High Plains Resources announced that one test well had shown “significant concentrations” of hydrogenspglobal.com. This “smoking gun” result – as one industry source called it – likely underpins Koloma’s ability to raise such large capital and proceed to production drillingspglobal.com. The precise hydrogen percentages or flow rates remain confidential, but the company’s aggressive scaling implies the findings met or exceeded expectations. By early 2024, Koloma was sufficiently encouraged to plan 4–7 new wells targeting production rather than exploration in the Kansas project areaspglobal.com. These were intended to be Koloma’s first attempts at physically extracting hydrogen (as opposed to just sampling)kclyradio.com.
Permits and regulatory filings: Koloma’s Kansas wells have been documented in state filings. For example, High Plains Resources LLC is listed as operator for a dozen wells in Kansas, including sites in Marshall, Washington, Riley, Geary, Morris, and Nemaha countiesdrillingedge.comdrillingedge.com. Several of these wells are noted as “Inactive” or “Plugged and Abandoned” (likely early test wells), while others had “Approved Intent to Drill” status in 2023–2024drillingedge.com. The data implies Koloma tested multiple geologic structures: some farther south (Morris, Geary counties) and the most promising ones in the north (Marshall/Washington). Indeed, a Washington County commission meeting in late 2023 recorded that “Jason Rayburn with High Plains Resources” informed officials the company “will be drilling within our county looking for gas, hydrogen, [and] helium”washingtoncountyks.gov. (Helium often co-occurs with subterranean hydrogen, so its mention hints at potential secondary targets.)
Geological data: Koloma’s Kansas wells probed depths around the Precambrian basement (~5,500 feet)hydrogen-central.com, tapping a geologic zone believed to generate hydrogen through water-rock reactions. The Midcontinent Rift under Kansas provides the structural traps that can accumulate hydrogen over timeequitiesclub.com. Koloma’s activities coincided with growing scientific attention: in January 2024, the USGS published a national hydrogen prospectivity map highlighting Kansas and the mid-continent as areas of interestspglobal.com. Koloma also participated in cutting-edge research – the company was awarded a U.S. Department of Energy grant to improve techniques for “stimulating and extracting hydrogen from underground sources”byrd.osu.edu. This indicates that beyond drilling, Koloma is investing in R&D to solve challenges like how to coax hydrogen out of rock formations (for instance, whether gentle fracking or other stimulation is needed, a question Koloma has acknowledged is still openkclyradio.com).
Local Community Engagement and Operations in Kansas
Koloma, via High Plains Resources, has engaged extensively with local communities and landowners in Kansas – a necessary step for a novel resource play in a rural area. The company held multiple town hall meetings to educate the public and address concerns. For example, on January 30, 2024, HPR hosted an information town hall in Clay Center, KSkclyradio.com. There, spokesperson Jason Rayburn walked attendees through the planned process of hydrogen extraction. He explained that exploration begins with “shooting seismic” – sending shockwaves into the ground to map subsurface structureskclyradio.com. If data suggests hydrogen is present, HPR would approach the landowner to drill a wellkclyradio.com. Rayburn emphasized a commitment to minimal surface impact: operations would use a small pad, avoid unnecessary disruption, and fully restore the land after drilling (plugging the hole and returning the site to original condition)kclyradio.comkclyradio.com. He also reassured residents that 2024 would be HPR’s first year of actual hydrogen production attempts, but the team brought deep experience from traditional oil & gas fieldskclyradio.com.
By March 2024, Koloma was preparing to spud its first dedicated production well in Kansaskclyradio.comkclyradio.com. The company announced plans for 2D seismic surveys in early June 2024 to refine drill targetskclyradio.com. Indeed, in June, HPR began seismic testing along county roads in Clay County (just south of the initial drill area)kclyradio.com. According to HPR land representative Cris Justiz, seismic crews would operate in road right-of-ways after the wheat harvest to minimize crop disturbancekclyradio.com. A route map for the seismic lines was to be released, and HPR assured the county it would fix any road damage incurredkclyradio.com. The seismic campaign’s goal was to better image subsurface geology; Rayburn noted that new 2D seismic data would help guide expansion of exploration efforts beyond the first cluster of wellsspglobal.com.
Throughout 2024, Koloma/HPR held additional public Q&A forums. Two more town halls were scheduled in April 2024 in Abilene and Washington, KSkclyradio.com, indicating Koloma’s expanding footprint across central and north-central Kansas. HPR used these meetings to communicate timelines (e.g. drilling later in 2024 if all went well) and to manage expectations. Notably, Rayburn stated that if hydrogen is found in commercial quantities, landowners would be compensated and asked for permission to install production wells on their propertykclyradio.comkclyradio.com. This outreach suggests Koloma was securing social license to operate, preemptively addressing land access and royalty issues in anticipation of success.
Local media coverage provides a ground-level view of Koloma’s operations. KCLY Radio (Clay Center) reported regularly on HPR’s activities, from the January town hall to seismic testing updateskclyradio.comkclyradio.com. Such reports confirm that by mid-2024, Koloma had shifted from pure exploration to early development mode in Kansas – moving methodically with community input. They also illustrate Koloma’s integrated approach: combining high-tech exploration (seismic surveys, advanced well logging) with on-the-ground relationship-building in rural Kansas. This approach likely helped Koloma navigate regulatory hurdles and acquire the needed drilling permits and leases with relatively little public opposition, even as the concept of drilling for hydrogen (instead of oil/gas) was entirely new to the region.
Third-Party Insights and Industry Connections
Because Koloma tightly controls its own press statements, third-party sources have been key to piecing together its Kansas story. In late 2024, news of Kansas as a natural hydrogen hotspot began reaching wider audiences. A BNN Bloomberg report headlined “Hydrogen Wildcatters Are Betting Big on Kansas to Strike It Rich” (widely circulated in industry circles) highlighted Koloma’s role, noting it had raised over $300 million from prominent investorsequitiesclub.com. Publications like Mining Weekly and Equities Club observed that Kansas was seeing a land rush for hydrogen rights, “with tech giants like Gates and Bezos… fighting for land and position” via Kolomaequitiesclub.comequitiesclub.com. This spurred other companies to action.
Notably, Top End Energy (ASX: TEE), an Australian junior explorer, acquired a Kansas hydrogen acreage position adjacent to Koloma in late 2024equitiesclub.comequitiesclub.com. In company releases, Top End explicitly references Koloma’s progress: “High Plains Resources [Koloma’s unit] leading exploration activity in TEE’s project area” and Koloma having “strong results [that] have backed the geological model for natural hydrogen in the area”equitiesclub.comequitiesclub.com. By March 2025, Top End announced its first Kansas drill site selection, citing “newly released data from Koloma’s exploration wells” as a basis for choosing the locationhydrogen-central.com. According to Top End’s VP of US operations, they are “leveraging data from Koloma’s Balsmeier, Carlson, and Hedge Lawn wells to refine drilling strategies”hydrogen-central.com. This is a remarkable example of quasi-open data sharing: while Koloma itself remains mum publicly, the necessary filing of well data with Kansas regulators (and possibly the expiration of any confidentiality period) meant that by early 2025 some information – such as well coordinates, depths, perhaps even hydrogen show logs – became accessible to industry peers. Thus, Koloma’s Kansas exploration has indirectly informed competitors, effectively validating the play.
Additionally, academic and government partnerships surrounding Koloma provide insight. As mentioned, Koloma’s CTO Tom Darrah is a tenured Ohio State University professor, and Koloma operates an R&D laboratory in OSU’s Energy Advancement and Innovation Center in Columbuspurpose.jobs. This lab moved into the brand-new university facility in December 2023, underscoring a close academia-industry link. Ohio State and its research centers have publicized Darrah’s work with Koloma, noting that his geochemical analyses and techniques (developed in academia) are central to Koloma’s exploration successbyrd.osu.edu. The Department of Energy’s interest, via a $20 million program to support geologic hydrogen research (from which Koloma garnered a grant), further connects Koloma’s Kansas field operations with broader scientific and policy effortspurpose.jobsbyrd.osu.edu. These connections imply that Koloma’s hiring and collaborations extend beyond just its own staff – they likely include university researchers, national lab experts, and consultants brought in to tackle specific challenges (e.g. seismic interpretation, reservoir simulation, or hydrogen production engineering).
Talent Acquisition: Key Roles Koloma Is Recruiting
Koloma’s hiring patterns offer clues to its strategy and operational needs in Kansas. The company has been recruiting both technical experts in geoscience and engineering and business specialists, reflecting a transition from exploration toward development and commercialization. Many of these roles directly align with the tasks at hand in Kansas – from subsurface imaging and well drilling to handling data from test wells and planning eventual hydrogen production.
As of early 2025, Koloma has advertised positions in its Denver HQ as well as in Columbus, OH (where its research lab is located)linkedin.comlinkedin.com. Below is a summary of relevant roles and how each connects to Koloma’s Kansas operations:
Role / Position Connection to Kansas Operations & Strategic Insight 1 Exploration Geophysicist (Denver) Focused on subsurface imaging and seismic data interpretation to guide well placement. Likely responsible for designing and analyzing the 2D seismic surveys conducted in Kansaskclyradio.com. Job postings indicated a senior candidate (15+ years experience) was sought, underscoring Koloma’s need for veteran expertise to pinpoint hydrogen traps and refine its geological model. This role aligns with the shift from initial wildcat drilling to a more data-driven exploration program in 2024–25. 2 Geoscience Data Engineer (Columbus) Handles the proprietary geologic and geophysical data Koloma is accumulating from Kansas wells. The role involves managing databases, analytics, possibly using AI/machine learning to identify patternspurpose.jobs. By hiring a data specialist, Koloma aims to leverage all the well logs, seismic results, and lab analyses to improve exploration success rates. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technology and “big data” in de-risking hydrogen exploration – consistent with Koloma’s description as a company leveraging technology and data to find resourcesportfoliojobs.theclimatepledge.com. 3 Senior Reservoir Engineer (Denver) Tasked with evaluating how to commercially extract hydrogen from the drilled structures. This engineer would use reservoir modeling (e.g. volumetrics, flow simulations) to predict well performance and design production strategies. In Kansas, where the first production wells are being drilledspglobal.com, this role is critical to determine if a discovery can flow hydrogen at scale and whether stimulation (fracking or other methods) is neededkclyradio.com. The recruitment of a seasoned reservoir engineer signals Koloma’s progression into the production testing phase and a need to solve unique challenges of hydrogen gas reservoir management (such as hydrogen’s tendency to diffuse or be consumed by microbes). 4 Field & Lab Geologists (Columbus) Koloma’s field operations rely on geologists both at the wellsite and in the lab. The Field Geologist oversees drilling on-site in Kansas, logs rock samples, and coordinates with mudloggers – analogous to traditional oil/gas exploration but targeting hydrogen. The Laboratory Geologist/Chemist, based in Columbus, analyzes the collected samples. Koloma’s job postings for a Geoscience Laboratory Technician (Field) illustrate this setup: the technician would collect drill cuttings and gas samples at Kansas well sites and analyze them in a mobile lab trailer using instruments like gas chromatographs and mass spectrometersportfoliojobs.theclimatepledge.comportfoliojobs.theclimatepledge.com. These roles directly support Kansas drilling by providing real-time data on hydrogen content in rocks and fluids. Their presence highlights a key operational strategy: deploying mobile laboratories to quickly validate hydrogen finds on-site, which is crucial for an unprecedented resource where standard logging tools might not detect hydrogen adequately. 5 Land & Community Relations (Kansas) In addition to scientific roles, Koloma has engaged personnel for local outreach and land acquisition. For example, Land Representative Cris Justiz liaises with Kansas landowners and county officials, ensuring access for seismic crews and negotiating surface use agreementskclyradio.com. Likewise, community spokespersons like Jason Rayburn handle town halls and media, addressing public concernskclyradio.com. While not “technical” roles, these positions are strategically important for smooth operations in Kansas – securing land leases, maintaining goodwill, and thus enabling the technical team to execute exploration and drilling without delays. 6 Senior Commercial Manager (Denver) As Koloma inches closer to viable production, it is also hiring for commercial and business development expertiselinkedin.com. A Senior Commercial/BD Manager will likely focus on offtake agreements, partnerships, or monetization strategies for any hydrogen produced in Kansas. This could mean engaging with industrial hydrogen buyers, pipeline operators, or even designing pilot hydrogen-to-power projects. The timing of this hire (listed in late 2024) suggests Koloma anticipates the need to translate exploration success into a business – aligning with its hope to start production by end of 2024spglobal.com. It also may involve securing additional government support or grants (e.g. leveraging the DOE’s interest) and ensuring Koloma’s hydrogen can tap into emerging clean energy hubs or hydrogen fuel networks. 7 Corporate Finance Manager (Denver) Given the nearly $400M raised and capital-intensive plans ahead, Koloma is bolstering its finance teamlinkedin.com. The Finance Manager will manage budgeting for multi-well programs, liaise with investors, and support future fundraising. For Kansas operations, this role ensures that the drilling campaigns, seismic acquisition, and R&D expenses (such as the OSU lab) are carefully controlled and aligned with the company’s timeline. Strategically, it also hints at preparation for scaling up – perhaps to fund full-scale field development if the pilot wells prove successful, or to be ready for an eventual public offering or large investment round. Table 1: Key roles Koloma has recruited and how each ties into its Kansas natural hydrogen project (sources: job postingslinkedin.comlinkedin.comportfoliojobs.theclimatepledge.com and public commentskclyradio.comkclyradio.com).
Strategic Alignment of Talent and Timeline
Koloma’s recruitment and partnerships reveal a great deal about its strategy, timeline, and challenges in Kansas. Early in the project, the emphasis was on exploration – evidenced by roles like geophysicists and geochemists, and by Koloma’s collaboration with OSU to leverage cutting-edge science. This indicates Koloma’s strategy of being data-driven and research-focused from the outset. By planting its research lab at Ohio State and involving an academic CTO, Koloma ensured it had proprietary tech (e.g. specialized gas analysis methods) and scientific credibility to tackle the uncharted problem of finding hydrogen in the subsurfacebyrd.osu.edubyrd.osu.edu. The OSU lab’s work on analytics, AI, and sensors for hydrogen explorationpurpose.jobs feeds directly into Kansas field operations, giving Koloma a strategic edge (and justifying hires like the Geoscience Data Engineer to integrate these tools).
As Koloma achieved proof-of-concept discoveries (significant hydrogen shows) by mid-2023, its timeline shifted to pilot development. The hiring of a Reservoir Engineer and expansion of field teams in 2024 aligns with the goal of having production wells on stream in late 2024 or 2025spglobal.com. These roles address the key operational challenge now facing Koloma: Can the hydrogen be produced at sustainable flow rates and volumes? The DOE grant-backed research into stimulation and extraction techniques suggests that this is a non-trivial challenge – hydrogen may be present, but getting it out efficiently is the next hurdlebyrd.osu.edu. Koloma’s team composition acknowledges this: by combining oil and gas veterans (who understand drilling and reservoir behavior) with hydrogen-specific scientists, they are attacking the problem from multiple angles. For instance, Rayburn’s note that HPR was “unsure if fracking will be necessary”kclyradio.com underscores an operational uncertainty; the resolution of that (through field tests and engineering analysis) will determine if commercial hydrogen production is viable. The reservoir and production engineers will be critical in devising methods to enhance gas flow if needed, possibly adapting techniques from the oil/gas sector to this new context.
The nature of Koloma’s recent hires also hints at its broader strategy and timeline. Bringing on a Senior Commercial Manager before any public declaration of production success suggests Koloma is planning ahead for scale-up and market integration. They are likely exploring potential buyers or use-cases for Kansas hydrogen – be it supplying a local ammonia/fertilizer plant, a fuel cell project, or integrating into a regional hydrogen hub incentivized by government programs. In parallel, the presence of a Corporate Finance role and the magnitude of capital raised signal that Koloma is preparing for long-term development in Kansas (and possibly beyond). With tens of millions budgeted for Kansas drilling and more wells likely in the pipeline, prudent financial management and further fundraising (perhaps a Series C or strategic investment) will be needed. The hires in finance and commercial domains reflect those forthcoming needs.
Finally, the recruitment of top-tier talent and the way Koloma has operated thus far illuminate some of its operational philosophies. Koloma “proudly employs global thought leaders…industry veterans, academics, and researchers from a wide array of disciplines”koloma.com – a culture explicitly aimed at innovation. This interdisciplinary team is arguably suited to solve the unique puzzles of natural hydrogen. However, it also means Koloma must bridge different worlds: academic research, on-the-ground drilling, and venture-backed growth expectations. The timeline pressure is evident – having raised significant funds, investors will expect results (i.e. demonstrated hydrogen production) in a reasonable timeframe. Koloma’s guarded public stance may be a way to manage expectations until it can conclusively prove its concept. In the meantime, local observers and industry competitors are reading the tea leaves of Koloma’s moves. The data points compiled in this report – well permits, town hall disclosures, hiring patterns, and third-party analyses – collectively suggest that Koloma’s Kansas program is moving assertively into a pilot production phase in 2024–2025, backed by an expanding team and a robust war chest.
Koloma’s co-founder and CTO Tom Darrah (an Ohio State professor) at OSU’s new Energy Advancement and Innovation Center, where Koloma’s research lab is housedpurpose.jobs. The academic partnership provides Koloma with advanced analytical capabilities and talent for its Kansas hydrogen project.Conclusion
Koloma’s exploration of natural hydrogen in Kansas has evolved from quiet test drilling into a well-funded, multidisciplinary program at the frontier of energy innovation. Public filings and local reports confirm that Koloma (via High Plains Resources) has drilled numerous wells in Kansas’s hydrogen-prone formations, conducted seismic surveys, and engaged with the community to pave the way for production. In parallel, the company’s targeted hiring – from geophysicists and data engineers to reservoir and commercial managers – mirrors this evolution, ensuring that it has the expertise to interpret subsurface data, optimize extraction techniques, and eventually bring hydrogen to market.
Moreover, connections to academia and government (such as its OSU lab and DOE-supported R&D) indicate Koloma’s commitment to overcoming scientific and engineering challenges inherent in this new field. The roles being recruited suggest a company gearing up to transition from exploration to exploitation, while also laying the groundwork for commercialization and scaling (should the pilot wells prove fruitful). The nature of these roles – and the significant capital behind them – reveals that Koloma’s timeline is ambitious: it is likely aiming to validate a commercial natural hydrogen play in Kansas within the next year or two.
In summary, Koloma’s Kansas venture blends high-tech exploration with on-the-ground development, and the evidence at hand paints a picture of cautious optimism. The company has drawn interest from competitors and stakeholders as one of the first “hydrogen wildcatters.” By scrutinizing Koloma’s exploration activities, permits, and hiring strategy, we gain deeper insight into an enterprise attempting to unlock a new energy resource. All signs suggest that the coming phases in Kansas (and any results they yield) will not only define Koloma’s success, but could also chart the course for natural hydrogen exploration industry-wideequitiesclub.comequitiesclub.com.
Sources:
S&P Global Commodity Insights – “Geologic hydrogen explorer Koloma… quiet on next step” (Jan 24, 2025)spglobal.comspglobal.com
KCLY Radio (Kansas) – local news reports on HPR town halls and operations (Jan–June 2024)kclyradio.comkclyradio.com
DrillingEdge Kansas well data – High Plains Resources LLC permits and wellsdrillingedge.com
Hydrogen Central – “Top End Energy selects first well site… in Kansas” (Mar 14, 2025)hydrogen-central.com
Equities Club – “Top End Energy Joins Kansas Natural Hydrogen Rush” (Dec 4, 2024)equitiesclub.com
Purpose.jobs – “Koloma Raises $246M, Opens Lab in Columbus” (Feb 12, 2024)purpose.jobspurpose.jobs
Ohio State University news – “Professor Tom Darrah Leads Koloma…” (Feb 27, 2024)byrd.osu.edubyrd.osu.edu
LinkedIn Job Posts – Koloma open positions (accessed Apr 2025)linkedin.comlinkedin.com
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