{ "meta": { "title": "Flared Gas Bitcoin Mining Capacity by Basin", "description": "Reported/observed flared-gas volume for 6 major oil-and-gas basins (Permian, Bakken, Eagle Ford, Anadarko, Alberta, Global), each source-cited with methodology and confidence, plus the THEORETICAL Bitcoin-mining capacity it implies (addressable MW and EH/s) from a documented model. Snapshot 2026-07-16.", "generated": "2026-07-16T21:08:18+00:00", "version": "1.0", "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "license_name": "CC BY 4.0", "source": "https://d-central.tech/flared-gas-mining-capacity/", "record_count": 6, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16", "model": "THEORETICAL model (100% capture): addressable_mw = flared_mmcf_d x 4 MW per MMcf/day (at ~1,037 BTU/ft3 and ~35% reciprocating-genset efficiency the gross figure is ~4.4 MW-e; rounded down to 4 to allow for downtime and parasitic load); addressable_ehs = addressable_mw x 0.05 (EH/s per MW at ~20 J/TH miner efficiency). Upper bound only.", "disclaimer": "Flared-gas volumes are as reported by the cited regulator or observed by satellite (VIIRS) for the stated year; per-basin flaring is not cleanly or consistently published, and satellite-observed volumes usually EXCEED operator/regulator-reported ones — each row states its methodology and confidence. The addressable-MW and hashrate figures are a THEORETICAL MAXIMUM computed from a documented model, assuming 100% of flared gas were captured and converted to mining power — which no basin approaches in practice (flaring is dispersed across thousands of intermittent wells, and capture economics vary). Read them as an upper bound on the opportunity, not an achievable figure. Not investment advice." }, "rows": [ { "basin": "Permian Basin", "region": "West Texas + SE New Mexico, USA", "flared_mmcf_d": 266, "metric_type": "flared", "year": "2023", "methodology": "Regulator-reported (Texas RRC assessment, Permian-scoped)", "confidence": "medium", "source": "Texas Railroad Commission assessment (Permian-scoped, 12 months to ~mid-2023), reported by Bloomberg", "source_url": "https://www.rrc.texas.gov/", "satellite_vs_reported": "Satellite (NOAA VIIRS) runs roughly 2x higher; RMI's analysis of TX operator data (12 mo to Nov 2024) plus unreported VIIRS flaring implies up to ~600 MMcf/d Texas-wide. EIA's Texas+New Mexico vented+flared total was ~495 MMcf/d in 2024, but that over-counts (Texas total includes Eagle Ford and other basins).", "note": "The Permian spans two states and is not published as a standalone flaring number; ~266 MMcf/d is the cleanest Permian-scoped flared figure. The single most-flared US basin.", "addressable_mw": 1064, "addressable_ehs": 53.2, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" }, { "basin": "Bakken / Williston Basin", "region": "North Dakota, USA", "flared_mmcf_d": 136.5, "metric_type": "flared", "year": "2026", "methodology": "Regulator-reported (North Dakota DMR Director's Cut)", "confidence": "high", "source": "North Dakota Dept. of Mineral Resources (DMR) Director's Cut, Feb 2026 production", "source_url": "https://www.dmr.nd.gov/dmr/", "satellite_vs_reported": "Reported (operator volumes to the state). No current basin-level VIIRS figure is published; historical satellite estimates diverge ~+/-9.5%.", "note": "Statewide ND flaring is effectively all Bakken/Williston. ~4% of ND gas is flared (96% captured); clean regulator figure.", "addressable_mw": 546, "addressable_ehs": 27.3, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" }, { "basin": "Eagle Ford", "region": "South Texas, USA", "flared_mmcf_d": 59.5, "metric_type": "flared", "year": "2020", "methodology": "VIIRS-satellite (Flaring Monitor / Payne Institute)", "confidence": "medium", "source": "Flaring Monitor basin dataset (Payne Institute Earth Observation Group, VIIRS; EDF + Rystad)", "source_url": "https://github.com/flaringmonitor/viirs-flare-data", "satellite_vs_reported": "Satellite figure; the Eagle-Ford-isolated series has not been updated past 2020-21. 2019 was ~86 MMcf/d. No clean recent regulator-reported Eagle-Ford-only figure exists.", "note": "Most recent complete Eagle-Ford-isolated year is 2020 (vintage caveat). Flaring has fallen from the 2019 peak.", "addressable_mw": 238, "addressable_ehs": 11.9, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" }, { "basin": "Anadarko Basin", "region": "Oklahoma + Texas Panhandle, USA", "flared_mmcf_d": null, "metric_type": "not_published", "year": "2024", "methodology": "No separately-published volume", "confidence": "low", "source": "EIA Oklahoma vented+flared series (reports 0 — a data gap) + NOAA VIIRS super-resolution flare catalog (count only)", "source_url": "https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/NG_SUM_LSUM_DCU_SOK_A.htm", "satellite_vs_reported": "Oklahoma regulator/EIA report 0 MMcf (the Oklahoma Corporation Commission does not collect volumetric flaring data) — a DATA GAP, not true zero. VIIRS detected 205 active Anadarko flares in 2024 but no volume is published.", "note": "Included for honesty: a gas-focused, comparatively low-flaring basin with no separately-published flared VOLUME. No mining-capacity estimate is computed without a volume.", "addressable_mw": null, "addressable_ehs": null, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" }, { "basin": "Alberta (province total)", "region": "Alberta, Canada", "flared_mmcf_d": 148, "metric_type": "flared", "year": "2024", "methodology": "Regulator-reported (Alberta Energy Regulator ST60B)", "confidence": "high", "source": "Alberta Energy Regulator ST60B-2024 (total flare volume 1,534.1 million m3)", "source_url": "https://www.aer.ca/documents/sts/ST60-B-2024.pdf", "satellite_vs_reported": "Reported. A 2025 peer-reviewed study found VIIRS UNDER-detects western-Canada flaring (many small flares missed): operators reported ~213 MMcf/d across the WCSB in 2023 vs only ~97 MMcf/d observed by satellite — the reverse of the US pattern.", "note": "Alberta province total (includes the NW-Alberta Montney). The BC Montney (BC gas is almost entirely Montney) is reported separately to the BC Energy Regulator and is not volumetrized here; the WCSB-wide reported figure is ~213 MMcf/d.", "addressable_mw": 592, "addressable_ehs": 29.6, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" }, { "basin": "Global (all countries)", "region": "Worldwide", "flared_mmcf_d": 16159, "metric_type": "flared", "year": "2025", "methodology": "VIIRS-satellite (World Bank GGFR / Payne Institute)", "confidence": "high", "source": "World Bank Global Gas Flaring Tracker 2026 (167 bcm flared in 2025, highest since 2019)", "source_url": "https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/", "satellite_vs_reported": "100% satellite-observed (NOAA VIIRS); there is no operator-reported global counterpart. ~$54B of gas wasted; third consecutive annual increase.", "note": "The headline number: worldwide flaring, if fully captured, could theoretically power several times the entire Bitcoin network.", "addressable_mw": 64636, "addressable_ehs": 3231.8, "last_reviewed": "2026-07-16", "next_review": "2026-10-16" } ] }