天然气太多用不完！对欧出口骤降，俄罗斯考虑用于数据中心

Core Viewpoint - Russia, holding the world's largest natural gas reserves, is exploring solutions for its surplus natural gas, particularly in light of significantly reduced exports to Europe due to the ongoing Ukraine conflict [1][2] Group 1: Natural Gas Export Trends - Gazprom's natural gas exports to Europe peaked at 175 to 180 billion cubic meters in 2018-2019 but are projected to drop to only 32 billion cubic meters by 2024 due to the Ukraine conflict [1] - The cessation of gas transport through Ukraine is expected to halve this level further in the current year [1] Group 2: Domestic and Industrial Usage - In 2022, Gazprom's natural gas production reached 416.19 billion cubic meters, up from 355.23 billion cubic meters the previous year [2] - Gazprom anticipates selling only 361.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2024 across domestic and international markets [2] - The company is also utilizing natural gas for its own needs, including power generation at its gas fields and pipelines [2] Group 3: Data Centers and Energy Demand - The Russian Ministry of the Far East and Arctic Development highlighted the urgent need to address the surplus natural gas, suggesting its use for powering data centers, which are increasingly in demand for energy [1] - BitRiver, Russia's largest data center operator, indicated that up to 10 billion cubic meters of associated petroleum gas could be utilized for large-scale cryptocurrency mining [2] Group 4: Challenges in Energy Production - The Deputy Minister of Energy expressed concerns about the high costs of using natural gas for data centers, suggesting that natural gas could be redirected towards coal production, which faces its own set of challenges due to international sanctions stemming from the Ukraine conflict [2]