Amid the tensions spurred by President Donald Trump’s proclaimed desire to annex Greenland, one Texas driller made plans to create an oil boom along the Danish territory’s sparsely populated east coast. But those aspirations are now facing repeated delays in the face of regulatory and community pushback.
The first test well was slated to be drilled this summer with a camera crew overseen by producer Phil “Dr. Phil” McGraw to document the effort. As local opposition escalated and permitting slowdowns took hold, the drilling was delayed to the winter—upon the government’s request—and now, after an additional kerfuffle this week concerning the movement of drilling equipment, the project was further pushed back until the end of 2027, essentially an 18-month delay.
Oil drilling is especially sensitive in Greenland where there’s a climate change-related moratorium on licensing, though the Texas company is essentially operating by means of a grandfathered loophole. The situation has become more delicate still as the White House repeatedly signals it wishes to take over the massive icy territory in order to tap petroleum and critical minerals.
But Robert Price, the CEO of Texas-based Greenland Energy, exclusively told Fortune he is disappointed but undeterred, and he remains as bullish as ever about Greenland’s oil prospects.
