Materials linked to an American oil company connected to Donald Trump have been brought ashore in Greenland for exploratory drilling, prompting the island’s government to issue a “strong warning” that the necessary permission had not been granted. Equipment landed on Greenland’s east coastGreenland Energy, a Texas-based firm set up last year, said it is preparing to drill wells in the remote Jameson Land area on the island’s eastern coast. Greenland’s mineral resources authorities said no approval had been given for the company to land the drilling kit. In a statement, the government said: “All future logistical matters must be advised and approved by the mineral resources authority – before they are carried out.” It added that an application for permission remained under processing. The move comes as the US president has renewed his threats to claim the Arctic territory, where sovereignty has long been a matter of debate between Washington and Copenhagen. Drilling plans despite exploration limitsExecutives at Greenland Energy have claimed that up to $1tn of crude may lie beneath Jameson Land. The firm announced plans to spend $60m to drill two wells to test the prospect. Greenland stopped issuing new oil licences in 2021 for environmental reasons. However, a UK company, 80 Mile, had secured exploration rights in the Jameson Land region. Greenland Energy’s corporate filings say it intends to take a majority stake in the project in exchange for funding the exploration, while still requiring government consent before drilling can start. Greenland’s local elected authorities control natural resource decisions for the semi-autonomous territory, while Denmark holds broader responsibilities. Connections to Trump-linked figuresGreenland Energy has appointed Phil McGraw, known as Dr Phil, as part of a plan to produce a documentary series about the project. McGraw is a former rightwing chatshow host who served on a religious freedom commission associated with Trump. The company has also named as a director a US navy veteran involved in Golden Dome, a missile defence plan that Trump has said makes Greenland “vital”. Larry Swets, chair of Greenland Energy and a major shareholder, has suggested the oil project is “not related to American annexation”. He later acknowledged that confusion may have been created after a company representative falsely claimed at a community meeting in June that permission had been granted to land drilling equipment. Two weeks after that meeting, local residents in the sparsely populated area noticed a tug bringing a barge ashore and unloading containers. Greenland’s government said the delivery was intended to get equipment onshore at Nunap Qeqqa, in connection with planned exploration drilling. Approval request under reviewDanwatch, a Danish investigative outlet, quoted the shipping company’s head as confirming the delivery was for Greenland Energy. The company declined to respond to questions from the Guardian. In a letter sent to shareholders on Thursday, Greenland Energy said meetings between project leadership and Greenlandic regulatory bodies had been “constructive” and that it remained encouraged by progress towards remaining approvals for drilling. It said that following those discussions, it planned to drill one well first. The government said it would not be “proportionate” to order the equipment to be removed while the permission process continues. Greenland Energy’s representative said a vessel carrying about 300 containers of drilling equipment was due to leave Canada on 12 September, with well drilling expected to begin in October. Jeff Landry, the hard-right Louisiana governor serving as Trump’s Greenland envoy, has said Greenland could be producing oil next year. Join the discussion? 8 August 2026
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