Coincidentally, I got a call from a West Texas oil man who is burning natural gas. He's too remote and there is no easy way to move the natural gas to market. It's all being wasted. There are companies in Texas that purchase natural gas, but I was skeptical. His idea is to use this free energy to mine bitcoin. Then this article.
So, why not? Unfortunately, I don't know enough to guide him. If you do, contact me and I'll put you in touch.
It's funny how humans and companies have mined natural resources for theoretical progress, but we've come to a point that natural resources are being used to mine a fake resource that really serves zero purpose. What an absurd direction technology has gone.
This happens all the time in Saskatchewan, they have such immense natural gas resources that a farmer or the oil company will find a well but it’s not worth connecting to market so the land owner ends up with “free natural gas”. The well might have 5 years worth or 500 years worth for that land owner … depends on a lot of factors
I don't know a lot about it, but remembered that there was a company in Colorado doing something very similar. Seems they've branched out into data centers and AI
You build a data center close to large reserves that would otherwise be flared or (gasp) vented. You get yourself some rebuilt LM2500's to power it. There's negligible added GHG or carbon footprint if it was otherwise going to waste. Vented methane is much worse than flaring it.
So, why not? Unfortunately, I don't know enough to guide him. If you do, contact me and I'll put you in touch.