On June 10, a snowy-haired American in his 60s, Robert Price, addressed residents of the remote Greenland hamlet of Ittoqqortoormiit. He was there to tell them about a business venture supported by figures linked to Donald Trump. "So," Price said via an interpreter, "we have a project to drill for oil here." This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The Texas oil company Price represents, Greenland Energy, hopes to prove billions of barrels of crude lie underground by bringing in 300 shipping containers of drilling kit. "We have the permit to put the equipment on the land," footage shows Price saying. "And then we've filed our permits – pending approval – to drill."
But Greenland's resources ministry said that contrary to Price's claim, there were "no actually active permissions for any exploration activity or permissions for preparations for these activities." The dispute threatens a showdown between Trump-linked backers of Greenland Energy and the territory's authorities.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Greenland, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, returned from a visit in May to declare on Fox News: "We need a deal. Greenland needs a deal. We could be – Greenland could be – exporting 2 million barrels of oil a day right now." Landry, who says his task is to "make Greenland a part of the US," added: "We could have those barrels on production within 10 months or so."
Greenland Energy appears to be the only company making plans to drill in the territory. Despite seemingly not yet having permission, it has chartered an Arctic-going vessel to ferry its equipment 4,000 km through icy waters to Greenland's eastern coast. Price said the vessel would depart in two months, on September 12, with drilling to begin in October. Halliburton, the Houston-based contractor once led by former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, will run the logistics.
Ever since Trump made his imperial desires for Greenland explicit, US business interests have been gaining footholds in its vast expanses. Ventures range from rare-earth minerals and hydroelectric power to bottling "luxury" spring water. Greenlanders have watched nervously as Trump has exercised US military power. The day after he sent special forces to snatch the leader of Venezuela, Trump said: "We do need Greenland, absolutely."
Avaaraq Olsen, the mayor of the region covering Nuuk and extending east across Jameson Land, where drilling is planned, said she was "so afraid" that Americans striking oil could align with Trump's plans. "We are like the most peaceful place on Earth," she said. "And suddenly there is all these Americans trying to take over."
Greenland stopped issuing licenses to explore for oil in 2021 after 50 years of fruitless drilling. But a handful of licenses remained valid, including some covering a chunk of Jameson Land. These licenses belong to a UK-registered company called 80 Mile. Greenland Energy, formed last year and listed on the Nasdaq, hopes to exploit them by putting up $60 million to drill two wells in exchange for a majority stake.
Price has claimed that crude worth $1 trillion (£750 billion) could lie beneath Jameson Land. "I believe it's there," he said during the meeting in Ittoqqortoormiit. "The scientists believe that it's there. But until we drill these wells, we don't know."
The wells are expected to be drilled in an area protected by the global Ramsar Convention to preserve wetlands. David Boertmann, an expert on Greenland's birds, said the conservation zone hosts important numbers of barnacle geese, pink-footed geese, whimbrel, golden plover, Sabine's gull, snowy owl, and muskoxen. Oil exploration activities could threaten these species.