Energy

The Trump Administration has proposed regulations that would allow oil drilling in Alaska's Western Arctic, a move requested by the oil industry and aimed at facilitating potentially massive new oil development in sensitive areas.

China is the sole buyer of Russian Arctic oil transported along the Northern Sea Route.

The Trump administration is proposing to fast‑track approvals for oil drilling projects in Alaska after a trade group request, with the Bureau of Land Management issuing a proposal to quickly approve new oil and gas wells.

Russian Arctic oil exports to China have exceeded previous record volumes, underscoring increased Arctic shipping activity.

The Bureau of Land Management has begun the renewal process for the Trans‑Alaska Pipeline’s right‑of‑way, a move that would keep the 49‑year‑old oil transport system operating on federal lands for several more decades.

A field team has arrived in a remote Labrador valley to assess a newly discovered near‑surface rare‑earth deposit, with workers and tents set up at the site.

The European Commission is set to decide, at the last minute, whether to keep or lift its 2021 ban on new oil and gas drilling in the Arctic.

Saga Metals, after buying Catalyst Rare Metals, is drilling its Wolverine rare‑earth project in northeast Labrador, using a helicopter to reach the road‑less camp; the company plans a 3,000‑meter program to test for heavy rare earths before winter.

Twelve oil tankers have sailed the Arctic route this year, all set to unload their cargo in China, underscoring the growing use of the Northern Sea Route for Chinese imports.

Greenland Mines closed its $35 million purchase of Neo Performance Materials’ Sarfartoq rare‑earth magnet project, a high‑grade neodymium‑praseodymium deposit that could supply roughly a third of global NdPr oxide outside China over nine years.

Kiruna is relocating as mining operations have created cracks and unstable ground under the town.

Greenlandic Arctic communities join a national waste‑to‑heat network that turns local garbage into heating fuel, turning a polar‑bear attractant into a resource.

Santos announced a production milestone at its North Slope Pikka field, marking a significant point in the region's oil output.

Russia has nearly doubled its clandestine LNG tanker fleet to at least 20 vessels, redirecting sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 cargoes away from Europe.

Greenland Resources secured up to $120 million from the Nordic Investment Bank to fund its Malmbjerg molybdenum and magnesium mine in Semersooq, following binding offtake deals with Scandinavian steel producers. The project could supply roughly 25 % of EU molybdenum consumption and 100 % of defence needs, boosting Greenland’s Arctic mining sector.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ ARCTIC program received a $3 million grant to bolster resilient energy systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, strengthening Alaska’s and the nation’s Arctic defense capabilities.

The EU is positioning the Arctic as a key source of critical raw materials to lessen its reliance on China, treating the region as a strategic economic security asset.

Deninu Kue First Nation has withdrawn its support for the Taltson hydroelectric expansion, citing a long history of exclusion and the risk that added power would benefit future Arctic mines rather than the Fort Resolution community. The First Nation demands concrete procurement and inclusion guarantees before it will consider future participation.