An American company unloaded drilling equipment in Greenland without permission
The American company Greenland Energy unloaded drilling equipment on the east coast of Greenland—an autonomous territory of Denmark—without permission. The equipment was delivered last month to the Nunap-Kekka area, also known as James Land, according to NDTV World.
The Texas-based company claims that this move was a preliminary step toward geological exploration. In July, Greenland Energy told Danish media that it had mistakenly believed that a permit to unload and store the equipment was required only within the area covered by its oil exploration license.
The company’s CEO, Roderick McIlrie, acknowledged the mistake in late July. “It was a mistake on our part, a mistake that will not be repeated,” he told the Danish public broadcaster DR. The equipment is currently being stored in a hangar at Nerlerit-Inaat Airport near the village of Ittokkortoormiit—the closest settlement to the licensed area.
The Greenlandic government issued a “strict warning” to the company and emphasized that all future logistics operations must be reported in advance and approved by the mineral resources authority. The company did not respond to an AFP request for comment.
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In 2021, the Greenlandic government imposed a moratorium on oil exploration and production across the entire island. However, Greenland Energy’s licenses were issued in 2015 and 2018, so they remain valid. To retain them, the company must conduct active exploration, noted Ulrik Pram Gad, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.
Greenland Energy hopes to obtain all the necessary approvals to begin drilling in order to assess potential reserves. However, Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mute Ege, who is responsible for natural resources, told KNR that under the current circumstances, he does not consider it realistic to begin drilling in the fall. Authorities also noted that the company has not yet submitted the required environmental and social impact assessments for the project.
According to estimates by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, the area may contain resources equivalent to 2.35 billion barrels of oil. In mid-July, more than 100 of the 325 residents of Ittokkortormiit protested against the project, KNR reported.
