Trump Posts Animation While His People Drill in Greenland
American oil company Greenland Energy, linked to Trump's circle, prepares exploratory drilling on Greenland's east coast despite lacking final approval from local authorities.
American oil company Greenland Energy, linked to Trump's circle, prepares exploratory drilling on Greenland's east coast despite lacking final approval from local authorities.
As political tensions between the US and Denmark over Greenland show no signs of easing, an operation on the east coast of the semi-autonomous territory is stirring up more dust. American oil company Greenland Energy, which media outlets link to people in President Donald Trump's circle, is intensively preparing for exploratory oil drilling in the Jameson Land area, even though it has not yet received all necessary permits from Greenlandic authorities.
Controversy escalated in late July 2026 when Greenlandic authorities issued a warning to the company for unloading equipment without a prior permit. Residents of the sparsely populated area noticed a tugboat with a barge from which about ten containers were unloaded onto the shore in the Nunap Qeqqi (Jameson Land) area. The Greenlandic government stated that the equipment was intended for the planned oil exploration.
A representative of Greenland Energy had inaccurately claimed at a meeting with the local community in June 2026 that the company had a permit to bring in equipment. Board chairman Larry Swets later admitted the mistake, saying that enthusiasm for the project had led to communication that, as reported by The Guardian, "created confusion."
Just two days after the Greenlandic authorities' warning, on August 1, 2026, Donald Trump posted a provocative message on his social media platform Truth Social, accompanied by an animation of him looming over a Greenlandic settlement. "Hello, Greenland!" the US president wrote.
Greenland Energy has strong ties to Trump's political circle. They have hired Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, a former TV host and member of Trump's religious freedom commission, to film a documentary series about the project. The board also includes a US Navy veteran working on the Golden Dome project, a missile defense system that Trump considers "vital" to US control over Greenland.
Despite these ties, Swets insists that the oil project is "not linked to American annexation" of Greenland.
The company estimates that oil reserves worth a trillion dollars lie beneath Jameson Land. To test this possibility, they plan to allocate $60 million to drill two exploratory wells. Since 2021, Greenland has stopped issuing new oil exploration permits due to environmental concerns, but British company 80 Mile already holds exploration rights in the area. Greenland Energy wants to financially enter the project and take a majority stake.
Greenlandic authorities now face a difficult decision. As a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, Greenland decides independently on its resources, but the planned wells are reportedly located within an area protected by the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. For now, they have stated that it would not be proportionate to demand the removal of already delivered equipment and that the permit application is still under review.
Meanwhile, Greenland Energy says it will accelerate its activities. A ship carrying up to 300 containers of drilling equipment is expected to depart from Canada on September 12, 2026, with drilling operations slated to begin in October. Louisiana Governor and Trump's envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, has said that "Greenland could be pumping oil as early as next year."
