Since things like this result in a different gravity in different parts of the world, can that be exploited for energy generation, more efficient shipping, or anything beneficial? Is there any benefit in slightly greater or lesser gravity in chemical or chip or materials manufacture?
Generally the variation in gravitational field is so weak it doesn’t do much except add errors to data. It’s more efficient to launch satellites near the equator, but that’s not because of the Earth’s bulge or gravity, but rather the big radial velocity down there.
Perhaps one day from the very appropriately named Ascension Island? It would be pricy to ship things out there, but it's had an RAF presence on it for donkey's years and if something went wrong it's very far from population centres and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean.
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2006/3...