Planned winter oil drilling in East Greenland by Greenland Energy Company has been postponed after the company landed equipment without prior approval.

Greenland’s Ministry of Mineral Resources reprimanded the company, a joint venture partner, after it failed to obtain permission in advance to land the drilling equipment.

The equipment was brought ashore on July 29 and 30, after a tugboat towed a barge carrying an excavator and more than a dozen containers to Nerlerit Inaat, around 40 kilometres from Ittoqqortoormiit.

The ministry said the following day that the license holder had not received approval to land the equipment and that all future logistical operations would need to be cleared in advance. However, it did not require the containers to be removed.

“Operating in the Arctic requires patience, flexibility and a long-term perspective,” said Robert Price, chief executive of Greenland Energy Company.

The company is now aiming to secure the necessary permits for winter 2027.