Chinese Resident Stole Oilfield Electricity for Bitcoin Mining

A resident of China’s Heilongjiang province laid an electric cable along the bottom of fish ponds to steal electricity from an oil extraction facility for mining the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

According to local media, a staff member responsible for oil production at China’s largest oilfield, Daqing, reported the suspected electricity theft to the police. During the investigation, law enforcement officers examined a two-kilometer area around the oil well, including with the help of a drone.

About 200 meters from the oil pump, they discovered a shed almost completely surrounded by water. Inside the structure, there were 20 cryptocurrency mining machines. The building was powered by a 5-centimeter-thick cable connected directly to the oil well’s distribution box, which had been laid right along the bottom of the fish pond.

A criminal case has been opened against the owner of the mining farm. The damage caused by the perpetrator is estimated at 48,560 yuan (about 453,000 rubles).