Greenland oil drilling: Why Trump-linked US firm is facing a warning
An American oil company with links to Donald Trump is getting ready to drill wells in remote Greenland. (File Photo)A US oil company with ties to people in Donald Trump’s political circle is preparing to drill for oil in Greenland even though the territory’s authorities say the necessary approvals have not yet been granted.
The unauthorised operation in the remote Jameson Land region by Greenland Energy comes as US President Donald Trump revives public commentary regarding American control over the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
What exactly is happening in Greenland?
According to a report in The Guardian, equipment for oil drilling was brought ashore on Greenland’s eastern coast in the past few days. This has forced Greenland’s government to issue a warning, saying no approval was given for this. The government said any future shipments and logistics work must first be cleared by its mineral resources authority.
Just two days after this warning, Trump posted a message on his social media platform Truth Social. The post showed an image of him towering over a Greenland had stopped giving out new oil licences back in 2021 because of environmental concerns. However, a British company named 80 Mile already held exploration rights in Jameson Land. Greenland Energy plans to take a majority share in the project by funding the exploration work, though it still needs the government’s final approval before drilling can begin.
Does this company have links to Trump?
Greenland Energy has said a ship carrying 300 containers of drilling equipment will leave Canada on 12 September, with drilling expected to start in October. Meanwhile, Jeff Landry, the Louisiana governor who Trump has appointed as his special envoy for Greenland, has said Greenland could be “pumping oil next year.”
