WASHINGTON: As the value of bitcoin soars and concerns rise about the energy-intensive process needed to obtain it, cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in the United States believe they have found a solution in flared natural gas.
Profitably creating, or mining, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies requires masses of computers dedicated to solving deliberately complicated equations — an endeavor that globally consumes more electricity than entire nations, but for which these start-ups say the jets of flaming gas placed next to oil wells are perfect power sources.
“I think the market is enormous,” said Sergii Gerasymovych, CEO of EZ Blockchain, which has six different data centers powered off natural gas in the US states of Utah and New Mexico, as well as in Canada.
Across the country, companies like EZ Blockchain are setting up shipping containers where racks containing hundreds of computers mine cryptocurrency, fueled by natural gas from oil wells that otherwise would be burned in the open.
Interest in their work has grown over the past year. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies like ethereum and dogecoin have seen meteoric price spikes since the Covid-19 pandemic turned the global economy on its head and mainstream companies began to embrace the technology.
But a backlash has formed against the digital assets’ energy usage, fueled by concerns it relies on carbon-emitting power sources that contribute to climate change.
This week, Tesla boss Elon Musk criticized bitcoin’s power consumption, particularly of energy produced from coal, and said he would no longer accept the cryptocurrency as payment for his electric cars.
While entrepreneurs in the fledgling industry say using natural gas that is otherwise wasted represents a solution to these concerns, its ability to actually cut emissions remains to be seen, said Tony Scott, managing director of analysis at oil and gas research firm BTU Analytics.
“In the grand scheme of things and relative to other load, yes, it’s small,” Scott said. “They are creating economic value (but) they’re not necessarily significantly changing the emissions profiles.”
Huge numbers of processors worldwide are dedicated to the task of mining bitcoin. The activity uses 149.6 terawatt-hours per year, according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Energy Consumption Index (CBECI). That is slightly less than all the electricity consumed by Egypt.
As the most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin is undoubtedly valuable, trading at around $50,000 in mid-May from less than $10,000 a year ago, giving miners incentive to find the cheapest source of power to increase their margins.
Enter flared natural gas.
Oil producers flare natural gas if they can’t find a way to process it, which, with prices low and pipelines complicated to build, can be the case worldwide.
“Miners tend to be based around areas where there tends to be surplus power. What is new... is this whole concept of taking gas flaring,” said Jason Deane, bitcoin analyst at Quantum Economics.
Flaring combusts many of the greenhouse gases in natural gas, but the International Energy Agency said the approximately 150 billion cubic meters of natural gas flared worldwide in 2019 put out about the same amount of carbon dioxide as Italy.
Using flared gas to power the application-specific integrated circuits that mine bitcoin does not end emissions entirely, but is more efficient than flaring it and puts energy that is otherwise wasted to use.
“We come in, they’re making zero for their gas, we say, hey, we’ll come in (and) take the gas off your hands, give you a little something,” said Matt Lohstroh, co-founder of Giga Energy Solutions.
“We’ll be able to reduce your emissions you’re putting out, combust it, create economic value on our end.
Natural gas’s edge is in the cost of power. CBECI estimates the average global power cost for bitcoin mining is about $0.05 per kilowatt hour. Lohstroh said natural gas power can bring the kilowatt hour cost to below $0.018.
Interest has grown in diverting flared gas to cryptocurrency mining, and not just because the digital assets are growing in value.
“There’s more scrutiny on issuing new flare permits and I think these producers are realizing that,” said Britt Swann, who is leading holding company Ecoark’s expansion into cryptocurrency mining.
“They are willing to play ball and figure out a way to use that gas without necessarily wanting any value for it.”
Where companies differ is over what to do with bitcoin and other digital assets once they get it.
Ecoark intends to convert it into dollars, but Lohstroh plans to hold the bitcoin he mines, which he believes will one day underpin a new global financial system.
“No need to sell the most valuable asset in the world that’s underpriced,” he said.
Flared natural gas powers Bitcoin mining
https://arab.news/9zjz5
Flared natural gas powers Bitcoin mining
- Backlash has formed against the digital assets’ energy usage
- Ethereum and dogecoin see meteoric price spikes since pandemic
Supply chains reel as carriers halt Gulf routes and impose war risk surcharges in response to Iran-US conflict
RIYADH: Global supply chains were disrupted on March 2 as the US-Iran conflict forced shipping lines and airlines to suspend routes, reroute traffic, and impose emergency surcharges across the Middle East.
As traffic slowed through the Strait of Hormuz and airspace restrictions spread across Gulf hubs, logistics providers halted new container bookings and adjusted operations, driving longer transit times, higher freight costs, and greater uncertainty for cargo owners worldwide.
Ship-tracking data cited by Reuters showed a maritime standstill taking shape near the Hormuz chokepoint, with roughly 150 crude and liquefied natural gas tankers anchored in open waters beyond the strait and additional vessels stationary on both sides, clustered near the coasts of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, as well as the UAE and Qatar.
Industry guidance warned of heightened naval activity, anchorage congestion and potential insurance volatility, even as no formal international suspension of commercial shipping had been declared.
Rising tensions in the Gulf forced operational pullbacks, with Reuters reporting at least three tankers damaged and one seafarer killed, prompting shipowners to reassess their exposure in regional waters.
Container carriers acted to limit risk, with MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. suspending new bookings for Middle East cargo amid security concerns and network uncertainty.
A.P. Moller–Maersk paused sailings through the Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb and suspended vessel crossings through the Strait of Hormuz, attributing the move to the worsening security situation following the start of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Rival operators began diverting vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, extending voyage times between Asia and Europe and tightening effective capacity. The longer routings are increasing fuel consumption and disrupting equipment repositioning cycles, adding strain to already stretched container availability in key export markets.
Freight costs rose further after Hapag-Lloyd introduced a formal War Risk Surcharge for cargo moving to and from the Upper Gulf, Arabian Gulf and Persian Gulf, citing what it described as the “dynamic situation around the Strait of Hormuz” and associated operational adjustments across its network.
The surcharge, effective March 2 until further notice, is set at $1,500 per twenty-foot equivalent unit for standard containers and $3,500 per unit for reefer containers and special equipment.
The surcharge will apply to any booking made on or after March 2 that has not yet shipped, as well as cargo already in transit to or from affected Gulf regions. It will be paid by the booking party and excludes shipments regulated by the Federal Maritime Commission or SSE.
France-based shipping group CMA CGM said March 2 it will introduce an “Emergency Conflict Surcharge,” effective immediately, citing escalating security risks in the region. The surcharge will be set at $2,000 per 20-foot dry container, $3,000 per 40-foot dry container, and $4,000 per reefer or special equipment container.
The measure applies to cargo moving to and from Iraq, Bahrain, and Kuwait, as well as Yemen, Qatar, Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. It also covers shipments to Jordan, Egypt via the Port of Ain Sokhna, Djibouti, Sudan, and Eritrea, encompassing trade linked to Gulf and Red Sea countries.
On the port side, DP World said operations had resumed at Jebel Ali Port in the UAE following precautionary disruption. The reopening restored activity at the Gulf’s largest transshipment hub, though the broader impact of rerouted vessels, suspended bookings and insurance constraints continues to limit throughput predictability.
Marine insurers added to the strain by issuing notices canceling war-risk cover for vessels operating in Iranian waters and surrounding areas, with changes taking effect on March 5.
The withdrawal of coverage complicates voyage approvals and introduces further pricing volatility for shipowners and charterers considering calls within the region.
Air freight networks have also been affected. Widespread flight cancellations and airspace restrictions across the Middle East disrupted passenger and cargo flows through key hubs, including Dubai.
FedEx said it had temporarily suspended services in specific Middle East markets, including Bahrain, Israel, and Qatar, as well as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE, and halted pickup and delivery services in several Gulf countries due to escalating tensions and airspace closures, affecting time-sensitive shipments across several nations.
Air cargo disruption appears to be significant. Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport, a US multinational corporation that focuses on supply chain management and logistics, wrote on X on March 2 that “18 percent of global air freight capacity has been taken out of the market by conflict in the Middle East this weekend,” highlighting the scale of network dislocation as airspace closures and flight cancellations ripple across Gulf hubs.
While the figure has not been independently verified, it underscores the degree to which capacity constraints are tightening for time-sensitive shipments, including pharmaceuticals, electronics and industrial components.
Data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence underscores the scale of disruption to maritime throughput. Daily deadweight tonnage of tankers and gas carriers transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply by March 1, reflecting what industry sources describe as a de facto halt in normal vessel movements.
The combined effect of halted transits, booking suspensions, war-risk pricing measures and air service interruptions is beginning to ripple through global supply chains. Energy exports remain the most immediately exposed given the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, but sectors dependent on just-in-time inventory, from manufacturing to retail, are also facing longer lead times and rising logistics costs.
As of March 2, carriers and freight operators were prioritizing crew safety and asset protection while monitoring military developments. The duration of the conflict will determine whether the current disruption remains a short-term operational shock or develops into a prolonged restructuring of trade routes serving the Middle East.
