Other than having a completely misleading name, functioning as a supply hub for Allied shipping routes during World War 2, and harboring a substantial fishing industry, Greenland has spent the majority of the last century enjoying its isolation and anonymity. But this quiet existence may be about to change, due to a reappraisal of potential deposits of hydrocarbons under the seemingly eternal ice. Essentially, Greenland, an autonomous country under the auspices of the Kingdom of Denmark, might be sitting on top of substantial oil and gas reserves.
Up until about ten years ago, this was not even thought to be possible. During the oil crisis of the 1970s multiple research studies funded by Mobil, Chevron, Amoco, and Total concluded that there were no substantial deposits off the coast of Greenland. As the oil crisis subsided and the price of oil declined, these tests as well as the concept of Greenland as an energy producer were largely forgotten. 35 years, however, a 2008 reappraisal of the area conducted by the US Geological Survey, yielded surprising results.
Compared to the minimal and insignificant reserves that were reported in the mid-1970s, the 2008 survey found that the Greenlandic basin could potentially contain approximately 17 billion barrels of oil and 138 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Needless to say, these new numbers caused a flurry of activity and optimism in an industry that once again was experiencing rising prices, but also was rapidly changing under the influence of new technology. For Greenland, the report promised further economic self-reliance. For Denmark, it could substantially ease the cost of subsidizing Greenland (and straining its home budget), which in 2012 amounted to $650 million- or slightly more than $11,500 per Greenlander.
There are, of course, a number of issues to consider before Greenland becomes a viable option for E&P companies, mainly Greenland’s northern location, and its harsh climate are not conducive to year-round exploration and drilling; therefore, efforts have to be made in order to synergistically make the most of the short drilling season. In fact, before the drilling can even begin, communication and project set up between producers, local authorities and the Danish government have to be conducted efficiently and correctly.
In addition, there are a number of very specific challenges to setting up production in Greenland. Since Greenland is considered an overseas territory of Denmark, environmental regulations might be addressed in Danish, local drilling authorizations and other associated business activities would be conducted in Greenlandic. Further complicating matters is he fact that most producers likely operate using the language of business, English. So, with a local government and population that communicates in the Greenlandic Inuit language, and a caretaker that is most familiar with Danish, communication could easily be the most daunting aspect of getting projects off the ground. Scenarios such as this, where there are multiple languages being used to comprehensively discuss different aspects of a single project, require the use of a trusted translation company.
EVS Translations has worked on exploration and licensing project in Greenland and therefore has a strong team of in-country Greenlandic native speaker translators and reviewers. As the world leading translation company for Greenlandic translation service we will be happy to support your project.
As an FPAL registered company, EVS Translations is familiar with the particularities and challenges of oil and gas extraction in and around Greenland with a particular focus on the translation of documents related to the exploration, extraction, refining, and delivery of petroleum and gas products.
EVS Translations offers a full range of Greenlandic language services. The particular focus is English to Greenlandic translation and Greenlandic to English translation services, along with Greenlandic to Danish translation and Danish to Greenlandic translations.
If you are interested in our Greenlandic translation service, contact us at +1 404-523-5560.
