Greenland has denied US President Donald Trump's claim that large-scale exploration for oil, natural gas and minerals is about to begin on the Arctic island. Deputy Minister of Mining Jørgen Hameken-Holm confirmed to CNN that US companies are operating in Greenland, but stressed: “We are very far from large-scale exploration“.
He said several smaller exploration projects are currently underway. However, their practical implementation may begin in years, which casts doubt on the notion of an immediate start of large-scale extraction.
What Trump said
Earlier, Donald Trump wrote on his social platform “Truth Social“ that “large-scale exploration for oil, gas and minerals is about to begin“ in Greenland. The American president called the island “our new and beautiful Greenland“.
Trump also said that, according to experts, the amount of easily accessible oil in Greenland is greater than in almost any other region in the world. CNN points out that estimates of potential reserves do not mean proven reserves, and extraction is hampered by natural conditions.
Difficult extraction in Arctic conditions
About 80% of Greenland's area is covered by ice, the average thickness of which is about 1.6 kilometers. Some of the potential deposits are located in remote areas or at sea, and some of them can only be reached during the summer months.
Major oil companies, including “BP“ and “Shell“, have tried to extract industrial quantities of oil in Greenland, but without success. These conditions are among the reasons why local authorities have described the current activities as small-scale exploration projects, rather than the beginning of large-scale exploitation.
Agreement between the United States, Denmark and Greenland
In September, the United States, Denmark and Greenland signed an agreement to strengthen their security partnership. The document provides for cooperation in minerals, economic development and business relations, but oil and natural gas are not explicitly mentioned.
The Danish Foreign Ministry has said that if American companies want to conduct oil, gas or mineral exploration, this must be done in accordance with current Greenlandic law. Thus, at the moment there is no announced deadline for the start of large-scale studies, and the horizon indicated by local authorities for the possible implementation of the projects is “years“.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, transcripts.cnn.com