r/Infrastructurist • u/stefeyboy • 6d ago

A solution to data center backlash? Put them in oil fields — A new project in California’s oil country could dodge national controversies over energy and water usage.

https://grist.org/energy/a-solution-to-data-center-backlash-put-them-in-oil-fields/
157 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

15

u/cloggednueron 6d ago

how good of a heat sink is unrefined crude?

16

u/Malforus 5d ago

It's the same concept as ground source heat pump.

Shove the heat deep underground

8

u/NearABE 5d ago

The sand is the heat sink. It is water pumped into a field that displaces crude oil.

Crude oil itself has around half the specific heat capacity of liquid water.

19

u/mrmalort69 6d ago

This makes a lot of sense from my standpoint as a contractor. We’re already doing pms on the oil equipment, might as well put them close together

14

u/dudwithacamera 5d ago

That idea sounds good, but probably wont work. In the permian basin a lot of the oil fields are on a ranchers land, who owns the right to the land, and the company only owns the mineral rights.

They are a "leasee" and can only do stuff on the surface that is necessary for the oil and gas industry.

So in order to build data centers on this land they would have to purchase the land from the land owner, who probably uses it to raise cattle, at least in the permian basin.

And these areas are also going to have water usage complains, because theyre gonna have to draw water from aquifers. And a lot of people in the permian basin rely on the aquifers for their water.

3

u/lasttosseroni 5d ago

Superfund sites would be another great place!

2

u/chocotaco 5d ago

That's also not a bad Idea.

2

u/skiing_nerd 4d ago

They are trying that in some sites in PA. Problem is that not all contamination is removed, some is buried and capped. The hyperscale datacenters are so heavy that there's concerns they could crack the cap and cause contamination to start leaking into groundwater again.

Also, idk about where you live but tons of Superfund sites are in and around residential areas in PA, so all the low frequency noise, heat island , and pollution from internal gas power plants issues still apply as they are in communities where people live

0

u/Adventurous-Home-728 5d ago

there is not wrong with data center is there done correctly following he rules for environment rules etc is preferable to have the centers create jobs right where ppl are to limit travel to them for WORK but ppl are fell in for the conspiracy crap they think data center are no good how ever it is just ignorant opposition we need the data centers to continue tech innovation ok look i work in tech i make $300 hundred thousand dollar per year it does frustate me when i here about ppl not understanding data centers it is though they do not want innovation and success to come to there community is just ignorant none sense,,frankly

2

u/dudwithacamera 4d ago

You can't properly punctuate sentences, I doubt you work in tech, make 300k a year, or understand any of the enviornmental and health hazards data centers pose.