Quick Answer: US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, October 14, that "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration is preparing to begin in Greenland. Writing on Truth Social, he claimed the self-governing Danish territory holds vast, easily extractable oil reserves. He gave no details of US involvement, and Denmark and Greenland had not responded.
US President Donald Trump says "massive" exploration for oil, gas and minerals is about to begin in Greenland. The announcement came in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, October 14, in which Trump called the Arctic island "our new and beautiful Greenland" and claimed it holds some of the world's largest reserves of easily extractable oil.
The post gave no details of what American involvement would look like. And by Wednesday afternoon, neither Greenland's nor Denmark's leaders had issued any immediate comment, Al Jazeera reported.
What Trump actually announced
The message was short on specifics. "Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland!" Trump wrote. Citing unnamed experts, he added: "The amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost … anywhere in the World."
That was the whole announcement. No companies named, no licences mentioned, no timelines, no word on Washington's role. Markets moved anyway: shares in 80 Mile PLC, a London-listed firm that calls itself custodian of three of Greenland's largest commodity projects, jumped 23 percent on Wednesday, according to Morningstar's Alliance News service.
Greenland's place in Trump's security plans
The post didn't come out of nowhere. In September, Trump signed a security deal with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland that sharply expands the US military's role on the island — two new bases plus his planned "Golden Dome" missile defence shield — while reaffirming Danish sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination, Al Jazeera reported.
The deal was meant to close an almost two-year-long crisis over Trump's refusal to rule out seizing Greenland by force. He has wanted the island since at least 2019, and during his second term repeatedly threatened to take it from Denmark — a NATO ally — before the September pact cooled things down, according to the Daily Sabah.
Wednesday's post leaned on the security angle. "Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our defence will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived," Trump wrote. "It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the world!"
The geography backs him up: Greenland sits on the shortest missile route between Russia and the US, which is why it matters for Golden Dome, the Straits Times noted. Under the 10-page pact, the US will build bases at Narsarsuaq in the south and Mestersvig in the east, alongside the Pituffik base it already operates in the north, AFP reported. That reverses a long drawdown — since 1945, America's footprint has shrunk from thousands of troops across 17 bases to roughly 200 personnel at the remote Pituffik Space Base, which handles missile warning and space surveillance for the US and NATO, per the Daily Sabah.
What's buried under the ice
The resource story is real — and brutally difficult. Greenland holds large rare earth deposits, the materials inside computers, smartphones, batteries and solar and wind equipment. China dominates the world's supply, and the Trump administration openly wants to break Beijing's chokehold, the Daily Sabah reported. The US Geological Survey has also identified major potential offshore oil and gas deposits, and a 2023 survey cited by Reuters found 25 of the EU's 34 designated critical raw materials occur in Greenland, Gulf News reported.
But none of it has ever been turned into production. ExxonMobil, Shell and Eni have explored Greenland since the 1970s without a single major discovery, according to OilPrice.com. The obstacles: rare earths encased in hard rock, offshore oil and gas under Arctic ice. Past extraction efforts never got beyond the exploratory stage.
What the September deal does — and doesn't — cover
Here's the catch: the September pact does not grant the US any special exploration rights in Greenland. It does limit investments by non-NATO countries in strategic sectors, the Daily Sabah reported — a provision widely read as aimed at Chinese capital. The agreement would also still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.
Licensing sits with Greenland's government in Nuuk, not Washington. And Greenlanders are watching warily: in August, reports of a US oil company's preparatory operations in remote eastern Greenland left locals and authorities uneasy, the Straits Times reported.
Why it matters
Three threads run through this story. Energy: any credible Arctic find would eventually feed global markets, though nothing announced changes supply this decade. Supply chains: rare earths are the quiet bottleneck of tech and clean energy, and cutting dependence on China is a bipartisan Washington goal. And the alliance itself: the road from Trump's 2019 purchase bid to his seizure threats to last month's pact has been one of the strangest NATO episodes in memory. For context on the administration's other moves, see our coverage of the ruling against the White House press ban and the US–Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, which is rattling oil markets alongside the attacks on Saudi energy sites.
What happens next
Watch for responses from Copenhagen and Nuuk — silence so far speaks volumes, and Greenland holds the licensing keys. Watch for any US company announcing concrete plans or timelines; without those, Wednesday's post is rhetoric, not a project. And watch the military track — bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig — which is moving even where the mining track isn't.
Key Takeaways
- Trump announced on Truth Social on October 14 that "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration is preparing to begin in Greenland.
- He claimed the island's easily available oil exceeds almost anywhere in the world — but gave no details of US involvement.
- The September US-Denmark-Greenland pact expands America's military role (two new bases, Golden Dome) but grants no special exploration rights.
- Greenland holds large rare earth deposits and potential offshore oil and gas, but decades of exploration never produced a major discovery.
- Denmark and Greenland's leaders had not commented; mining shares such as 80 Mile jumped on the news.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly did Trump announce about Greenland?
On October 14, Trump posted on Truth Social that "massive" oil, gas and mineral exploration is getting ready to begin in Greenland, claiming its easily available oil exceeds almost anywhere in the world. He named no companies, licences or timelines and gave no details of US government involvement.
Does the US own Greenland or control its resources?
No. Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory, and licensing is controlled by its government in Nuuk. The September 2026 security pact expands the US military presence but grants Washington no special exploration rights, according to the Daily Sabah.
Why does Greenland matter for US security?
Greenland lies on the shortest missile route between Russia and the US, making it central to Trump's planned "Golden Dome" missile defence shield. Trump said any future attack on America would have to cross Greenland, giving US defences "time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the world."
What resources does Greenland have?
Large rare earth deposits used in computers, smartphones, batteries and solar and wind technology, plus major potential offshore oil and gas identified by the US Geological Survey. A 2023 survey cited by Reuters found 25 of the EU's 34 critical raw materials there. Extraction is extremely difficult — minerals in hard rock, oil under Arctic ice.
Why is China part of this story?
China dominates the world's rare earth supply, and Washington wants to break that dependence. The September deal also limits non-NATO investment in Greenland's strategic sectors — a provision widely read as aimed at keeping Chinese capital out of the island's resources.
Has oil been drilled in Greenland before?
Explored, never successfully produced. ExxonMobil, Shell and Eni have worked Greenland's waters since the 1970s without a major discovery, per OilPrice.com. In August 2026, reports of a US oil company's preparatory work in eastern Greenland unsettled locals and authorities.
What happens next?
Watch for responses from Copenhagen and Nuuk, concrete company announcements or licence applications, and progress on the new US bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig. Without Greenland's licences, Wednesday's announcement is a statement of intent, not a project.
Sources
- Al Jazeera, "Trump says oil, gas and mineral exploration to begin in Greenland," October 14, 2026 — aljazeera.com
- The Straits Times (AFP), "Trump says 'massive' oil, gas, mineral exploration to begin in Greenland," October 14, 2026 — straitstimes.com
- Daily Sabah, "Trump talks oil, minerals in Greenland, but challenges remain," October 14, 2026 — dailysabah.com
- Gulf News (Reuters), "Trump Announces 'Massive' Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration in Greenland," October 14, 2026 — gulfnews.com
- OilPrice.com, "Trump Announces 'Massive' Greenland Oil Exploration Plans," October 14, 2026 — oilprice.com
- Morningstar / Alliance News, "80 Mile up as US president plots Greenland exploring," October 14, 2026 — morningstar.com
By GlobalDeskNews Staff