Greenland warns Trump-linked oil firm over unauthorized drilling equipment

Greenland has issued a "strong warning" to an oil company linked to US President Donald Trump after drilling equipment was brought ashore without the required government approvals, according to British media.

The Telegraph reported Sunday that Greenland's Department of Industry and Minerals said machinery had been landed on the island's eastern coast last month for planned oil exploration drilling, but the company did not have the necessary permits.

"A strong warning will be sent" to the licensee, the department said.

The project is being funded by Greenland Energy, a Texas-based company established last year. The firm says as much as $1 trillion in crude could lie beneath the Jameson Land region and has taken a majority stake in the exploration project in return for financing.

Drilling cannot proceed without approval from Greenlandic authorities.

The controversy comes amid renewed US interest in Greenland.

Days after residents reported seeing drilling equipment brought ashore, Trump posted an AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform showing him overlooking a Greenlandic village with the caption "Hello, Greenland!"

Trump drew international criticism in January 2025 after refusing to rule out military force to take control of Greenland, saying the US needed the island "for national security purposes."

-Greenland 'vital' to Golden Dome for Trump

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member alongside the US.

Trump has since moderated his rhetoric but has called Greenland "vital" to his proposed Golden Dome missile-defense system. Greenland Energy appointed Carol Craig, a US Navy veteran involved in the project, to its board last month.

The company has also hired former television host Dr. Phil McGraw to anchor a documentary series about its Arctic exploration. Greenland Energy has denied any connection between its oil project and plans to annex Greenland.

Chairman Larry Swets acknowledged in June that a company representative had wrongly told Greenland residents that permission to land the equipment had already been granted.

"Our enthusiasm for the project led us to communicate in a way that created confusion," Swets said.

In a letter to shareholders Thursday, Greenland Energy said talks with Greenlandic regulators had been "constructive" and that it remained encouraged by progress toward securing the approvals required for drilling.