Trump: ‘Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration’ Ready to Go in Greenland

Trump: ‘Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration’ Ready to Go in Greenland

President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. is ready to start a “massive oil, gas, and mineral exploration” project in Greenland.

Trump wrote on Truth Social:

Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland! There are Experts that are saying that the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none. Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived. It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP

Leslie has done a great job tracking how the Trump administration has tried to end China’s grip on critical minerals and expand U.S. critical minerals production.

The announcement comes shortly after the Trump administration and Denmark reached a security agreement over Greenland.

However, Greenland’s deputy mining minister Jørgen Hammeken-Holm contradicted Trump:

While Greenland’s deputy mining minister Jørgen Hammeken-Holm acknowledged that “there are activities by US companies,” he told CNN that “we are very far away from ‘massive’ exploration.”

“There are many smaller explorations underway but these could take years to become operational,” he added, echoing researchers who have pointed out the difficulties and enormous expense involved in extracting resources from Greenland.

A 2007 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report found that northeast Greenland holds at least 31.4 billion barrels of oil.

In 2021, Greenland stopped granting gas and oil exploration licenses after assessing “that the environmental consequences of oil exploration and extraction are too great.”

Companies have explored for oil since the 1970s, but most of the operations came up dry.

At the time of the ban, Greenland only had four “active exploration and exploitation licences left – three onshore in Jameson Land on the east coast and one offshore in southwest Greenland.”

The four licenses expire in 2027 and 2028.

Despite the ban, Greenland Energy transported equipment into the country without authorization, prompting strong warnings from Greenlandic authorities.

The energy company delayed its plans in August:

Greenland Energy Co., a Nasdaq-listed oil and gas exploration firm, said Wednesday that it was now working toward a targeted permit timeline for winter 2027, delaying its plans to try to unlock the hydrocarbon potential of the Jameson Land Basin on Greenland’s east coast.

London-listed 80 Mile, the joint venture partner of Greenland Energy for the project, also confirmed the delay to drilling plans following talks with Greenlandic authorities.

“Operating in the Arctic requires patience, flexibility and a long-term perspective. We will use this time to refine our plans and deepen relationships with local communities, strategic partners and relevant authorities,” Greenland Energy Co. CEO Robert Price said in a statement.

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