A new player in the energy game is eyeing North Carolina for a big project. Deep River Data, a company with ties to the crypto world, wants to drill for natural gas near the Deep River in Lee County. This could be the first commercial well in the Triassic Basin, a gas-rich area under North Carolina and other Eastern states.

The gas isn't for crypto mining, though. The company says it's for a data center to power AI workloads. That's a lot of energy, but not as much as crypto mining. Duke Energy says data centers could add nearly 6 gigawatts to North Carolina's demand. That's a lot of power, and it's not great for the planet.

The company says it won't use fracking, which is a bad way to get gas. It's destructive and uses toxic chemicals. Instead, they'll use conventional drilling. But even that has risks. The well is near the Deep River, which is already polluted. The company says it won't take water from the river, but it's still a concern.

The project is in the early stages. Nothing's been approved or built yet. But people are already worried. They want the Oil and Gas Commission to look closely at the plan. They're also concerned about more data centers coming to the area.

The well was drilled in 1998, but no one's done much with it since. It's not clear if it's even worth developing. The company is still figuring that out. They say they want to do things right, but only time will tell.

The land is owned by Ed Myrick, but Dan Butler owns the mineral rights. He's a third-generation oil and gas developer. His family has a history in the industry, but that doesn't mean this project is a good idea.

The company's leaders have backgrounds in crypto. They say this project isn't about crypto, though. It's about AI and other research. But some people aren't convinced. They worry about the environment and the future of the area.

The project could bring jobs and money, but at what cost? The Deep River is already struggling. Adding more pollution and stress could make things worse. It's a tough balance, and no one has all the answers.

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