Could MARA (formerly Marathon Digital) be in exploratory talks with Exxon Mobil and Saudi Aramco to colocate Bitcoin mining units at oilfields, directly tapping flare-gas for power?
Crypto Twitter thinks it’s possible, and if confirmed, the partnership could turbocharge the scale and legitimacy of gas-to-Bitcoin operations, turning waste methane into a monetized digital asset while addressing ESG concerns.
MARA stock pumper Cryptoklepto thinks, “It is more likely than not that at least one of these scenarios plays out in the next 6 to 12 months for $MARA.”
While none of the companies have formally announced a deal, MARA CEO Fred Thiel hinted at “discussions with some of the largest energy companies in the world” on May’s earnings call, adding that “chunks of flare-gas generation” will soon come online where we’re able to deploy our Bitcoin mining operations.
The timing aligns with Aramco’s May 2025 announcement of 34 new MoUs with U.S. firms and follows Exxon’s earlier pilot with Crusoe Energy in North Dakota.
Pilot-Proven, Ready to Scale
MARA isn’t starting from scratch. In late 2024, it launched a 25-megawatt pilot in Texas using stranded shale gas, avoiding grid competition while qualifying for methane abatement credits. “The AI guys are prepared to pay almost any price for energy,” Thiel told Reuters. “Bringing crypto-mining to the raw power supply lets us avoid that fight.”
The company’s mobile, plug-and-play infrastructure is tailor-made for oilfields. These portable modules convert otherwise flared methane into electricity, which is then used to mine Bitcoin, a process that Exxon and Crusoe demonstrated at scale by diverting 18 million cubic feet of gas per month and cutting CO₂-equivalent emissions by up to 63%.
Saudi Aramco has previously denied any intention to mine Bitcoin. In 2021, the company labeled such reports “false and inaccurate.”
However, MARA’s Thiel recently claimed the firm has 4–5 gigawatts of excess capacity, a scale that could power tens of thousands of mining rigs. If even a small portion were redirected, it would surpass the total output of many standalone crypto facilities.
Exxon, meanwhile, has the institutional memory and data from its two-year Crusoe pilot, which could make fast-tracking a new venture with MARA less speculative than it seems.
Why Now? A Confluence of Pressure and Opportunity
Behind the scenes, regulatory momentum is building. A U.S. methane emissions fee under the…
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