Trump says massive oil, gas exploration set to begin in Greenland
USO•Donald Trump said massive oil, gas and mineral exploration was getting ready to begin in Greenland, which banned future oil exploration in 2021. He named no deals or specific development; Greenland is reviewing whether a Texas firm can use older permits.
1. Trump’s exploration claim
Trump said in a social media post that “Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin” in Greenland, which he called “our new and beautiful Greenland.” He cited no specific deals or development, and Greenland’s prime minister’s office declined to comment.
2. Drilling restrictions and permits
Greenland banned uranium mining and all future oil exploration in 2021. Its government is reviewing whether Texas firm Greenland Energy can use permits that predate the ban; the company said in August it planned to drill in 2027 in an untested basin on Greenland’s east coast, but lacked its own permit.
3. Security deal context
A September agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland allows an increased US military presence but grants no mining or drilling rights. The deal provides for two new military bases and Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defence system, while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders’ right to self-determination.
