Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill in Greenland but lacks permits
· UPIAug. 8 (UPI) -- Greenland has issued a "strong warning" to an American oil company linked to President Donald Trump, as it prepares to drill on the territory despite lacking proper permits.
Local residents in the southeastern region of Jameson Land recently spotted a barge carrying drilling equipment, The Guardian reported.
The equipment belongs to Greenland Energy, a Texas-based oil company whose chairman, Larry Swets, is part of Trump's inner-circle.
Two days after a rebuke from the Greenlandic government, the president posted on Truth Social an AI-generated image showing a giant Trump, looming over the island, with the words, "Hello, Greenland!"
Greenland Energy officials said they plan to spend $60 million to drill two wells in Jameson Land, the Guardian reported. The company believes there could be as much as $1 trillion of crude in the region.
"The Department of Industry and Minerals can, in connection with the above, state that the licensee did not have the necessary approvals from the mineral resources authority in place before initiating this operation," Greenland's government said in a statement.
The statement added the government was sending a "strong warning" to the operators behind the move.
Due to environmental concerns, the Greenlandic government has not issued oil licenses since 2021.
But Greenland Energy acquired exploration rights previously held by British company 80 Mile. In exchange for funding exploration, Greenland Energy would retain a majority of the proceeds from the venture, the Helsinki Times reported.
Transferring the rights still requires government approval, which Greenland Energy has not yet managed.
"The approval has since expired and has not currently been renewed, but is under processing," the government said in the statement.
A spokesperson for Greenland Energy said the company has 300 containers of drilling equipment ready to be shipped from Canada in September, with the goal of launching operations in earnest in October, the Guardian reported.
Trump has, for years, been adamant in his desire to annex Greenland. He has claimed the United States needs it "for defense."
In January, he told European leaders that one of the reasons he renewed his push to own the territory was because he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump has been rebuffed by officials in both Denmark and Greenland.