An American oil company linked to President Donald Trump is preparing to begin exploratory drilling in a remote area of Greenland, despite not yet receiving official approval from local authorities.
Drilling equipment and materials have been transported to the east coast of Greenland in recent days, prompting a reaction from the local government. Authorities have issued a strong warning, stressing that the unloading of the equipment was not authorized and that any further logistical activity must be notified and approved in advance.
The project is being led by Texas-based Greenland Energy, founded last year. Its executives claim that the Jameson Land region's subsoil could hold up to $1 trillion in oil reserves, and the company plans to invest about $60 million in drilling two exploration wells.
The project comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Donald Trump has repeatedly reiterated his interest in increasing American control and influence over Greenland. Just two days after the warning from local authorities, Trump also published a photo montage on his Truth Social network, where he appeared above a village in Greenland.
Greenland has suspended the granting of new oil exploration licenses since 2021 for environmental reasons, while the area where drilling is planned is located within a protected area under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. However, the British company “80 Mile” had previously secured exploration rights in this area. The project has also attracted attention for the names involved. The company has hired Phil McGraw, known as Dr. Phil, to make a documentary series about the project, while its management also includes a US Navy veteran associated with the “Golden Dome” missile defense project.
Greenland authorities now face a difficult decision: whether to allow oil exploration in a protected area or reject the project, risking that this will be used by the Trump administration as an argument to increase American pressure and influence over the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
