Gold H2, a Houston-based clean-hydrogen producing company, today officially announced that Prabhdeep Singh Sekhon has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.
This strategic hire marks a significant milestone in Gold H2’s mission to transform uneconomical, non-productive oil wells into mass hydrogen-producing assets, a business model that will reshape the traditional oil and gas industry landscape.
Cemvita Factory (“Cemvita”) had previously operated its Gold Hydrogen technology as a business unit focused on a field pilot program to achieve the microbe performance required to produce hydrogen at $0.80/kg. Gold Hydrogen developed a novel biotechnology that generates low-carbon hydrogen by converting uneconomical oil from end-of-life reservoirs into hydrogen by creating a “subsurface biorefinery” using the Earth’s biology.
Following successful field trial results in 2022, Cemvita spun out Gold H2 as a separate business, Gold H2, Inc. (“GH2”).
Appoints Former NextEra Energy Resources Executive as CEO
Sekhon, who most recently was a leader within NextEra Energy Resources’s Strategy and New Business Development team, brings unique qualifications and more than 16 years of cross-disciplinary experience in the traditional and renewable energy industry. With years of subsurface expertise, he is joining Gold H2 to advance the technology from field piloting to commercialization and oversee strategy, R&D and execution of its energy transition vision.
“I was drawn to Gold H2 because of its innovative mission to support the U.S. economy in this historical energy transition,” said Sekhon. “Over the last few years, my team was heavily focused on the commercialization of clean hydrogen. When I came across Gold H2, it was clear that it was superior to each of its counterparts in both cost and Carbon Intensity. What’s equally intriguing is that the technology leverages existing infrastructure by transforming mature oil and gas fields into clean, hydrogen-producing assets. Joining the company at this growth stage is an exciting challenge and a huge responsibility: We intend to move quickly to disrupt an industry in significant need of cost-effective innovation.”
Disrupting the multi-trillion dollar Oil and Gas Industry
Sekhon’s deep oil and gas background and his unique commercial perspective will help Gold H2 expedite the U.S.’s transition from fossil fuels to disrupt the market and transform oil and depleted assets into biologically produced clean-hydrogen fuel.
By working directly with the asset-rich oil and gas industry, Gold H2 will help a legacy industry navigate the complex problem of generating new renewable energy sources. Oil and gas companies have wrestled with what to do with exhausted oil fields for decades. With Gold H2's first-of-its-kind biotechnology, companies can find productive uses for oil wells – producing gold hydrogen at a low cost.
Sekhon began his career at Hess Corporation, where he helped pioneer unconventional resource development strategies, contributing to massive growth and innovation within the Bakken Play. His involvement in strategic planning allowed for a comprehensive review of global shale play opportunities, leveraging innovative techniques for enhanced assessment. Additionally, his contributions to the West African subsurface team led to successful capital deployment and the adoption of advanced 4D seismic technologies, driving advancements in petroleum development practices in the region.
Upon joining NextEra's Gas Infrastructure division, Sekhon spearheaded the establishment of a specialized subsurface team, driving advancements through innovative simulation methods and implementing emerging technologies. His leadership within the acquisitions and divestitures team contributed to strategic land acquisitions, facilitating nearly a billion dollars in capital invested. As Gas Infrastructure’s head of innovation, his team inaugurated a Center of Excellence to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across a multi-billion-dollar capital program by integrating data science and cutting-edge technologies.
Most recently, Sekhon was a driving force within NextEra's Energy Strategy and New Business Development team, helping steer the company's Real-Zero initiative. His strategic foresight fostered critical alliances and investments in Direct Air Capture (DAC), Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), and other energy transition technologies within the hydrogen economy.
Sekhon’s academic credentials include a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, during which time he also distinguished himself as an international athlete; an M.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University; and an MBA with Honors from The Wharton School.
“There is so much opportunity ahead of Gold H2 as the first company to use microbes in the subsurface to create a clean energy source,” said Sekhon. “Driving this dynamic industry change to empower clean-hydrogen fuel production will be extremely rewarding.”