The Essential Role of Oil & Gas

Oil and gas power the world, fueling transportation, driving industries and forming the foundation of countless essential products like plastics, packaging, fuel, and tires. However, flared gas presents an untapped opportunity for the oil and gas sector.

Historically, flaring has been a necessary consequence of oil extraction, especially in areas where capturing or transporting the gas was not economically viable. Today, advancements in gas-to-power technology are turning this challenge into an opportunity.

By leveraging gas-to-power solutions to commercialize stranded or associated gas on-site, oil and gas operators can cut emissions, ease regulatory burdens, and unlock new value streams.

The Flaring Challenge & Regulatory Pressure

Each year, the volume of natural gas flared worldwide could generate nearly 1,800 terawatt hours of electricity or about two-thirds of the European Union’s net domestic electricity generation, and enough to power the entire Sub-Saharan Africa region. Yet much of this energy remains untapped.

Flaring is used to destroy methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period. While it helps reduce emissions, the average flare is only 92% efficient, meaning 8% of methane is still released into the atmosphere. Operators often resort to flaring due to infrastructure limitations or economic constraints, but the practice remains a significant source of emissions.

NGOs and governments are driving stricter regulations, advocating for lower emission caps, tighter flaring limits, and outright bans. Many regions now impose severe penalties for noncompliance, including production restrictions or forced shutdowns. As regulatory pressure intensifies, oil and gas producers must adopt viable alternatives, particularly in remote areas without pipeline access.

The MARA Gas-to-Power Advantage

Bitcoin mining provides a practical and scalable solution. A gas-to-power system can capture excess natural gas on-site and use it to generate electricity to power MARA's compute on the edge. This modular approach is designed for flexibility and requires only a gas supply and satellite internet, with no water requirements, making it ideal for remote locations. The system scales with production and can be relocated as operational needs evolve.

By repurposing and commercializing flared gas, this solution can reduce emissions by up to 99% while potentially qualifying for carbon credit programs in certain jurisdictions. This approach helps operators comply with regulations, improve environmental performance, and generate new revenue.  

Additionally, by monetizing previously flared gas, operators may be able to book oil and gas resources as proved reserves, enhancing their PV-10 valuations and potentially increasing shareholder value. Increasing proved reserves through gas-to-power initiatives may improve a company's financial metrics and investor appeal.

MARA recently announced the full energization of a 25-megawatt micro data center initiative across oilfields in Texas and North Dakota. Powered entirely by associated natural gas, the project has already cut an estimated 29,300 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions in its first five months—comparable to removing 6,800 gasoline-powered vehicles from the road for a year. It now stands as MARA’s lowest-cost energy source and a real-world demonstration of how gas-to-power can turn emissions into economic value.

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