Two Greek-managed oil tankers were struck by drones on Tuesday near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in the Black Sea, which handles roughly 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, according to multiple sources. The vessels were on their way to load Kazakh crude when the attacks occurred, though the perpetrators remain unidentified. Ukraine has not commented on the incidents, and CPC declined to provide a statement.
One of the affected ships, theDelta Harmony, is managed by Greece's Delta Tankers and was expected to load oil from Tengizchevroil, a unit of Chevron. Another vessel, theMatilda, managed by Greece's Thenamaris and chartered by a subsidiary of Kazakhstan's state-owned KazMunayGas (KMG), was set to load crude from Karachaganak. Thenamaris confirmed that Matilda was struck by two drones while in ballast condition about 48 kilometers (30 miles) off CPC's moorings. A minor fire reportedly broke out on board but was swiftly extinguished. There were no injuries, and the ship sustained only minor, repairable damage to its deck structures. Matilda is now sailing away from the area.
A third vessel, theDelta Supreme, also managed by Delta Tankers, was targeted. A fourth vessel, theFreud, managed by Greece's TMS, was initially reported as hit, but TMS later denied any damage.
The attacks come amid a sharp drop in Kazakhstan's oil production, which fell by 35% between January 1 and 12 compared with December's average, mainly due to export restrictions through the Black Sea terminal. Kazakhstan's energy ministry said CPC continues to export oil via one mooring, but the situation has disrupted shipping and could drive up both insurance and transport costs for oil loaded at Russian terminals in the Black Sea, which account for over 2% of global crude exports.
The CPC terminal ships crude to theYuzhnaya Ozereyevkaterminal near Novorossiisk in southern Russia. A previous strike on November 29 reportedly hit one of the three main CPC moorings at the terminal. The CPC pipeline is 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) long, and its shareholders include KazMunayGas, Chevron, Russia's Lukoil, and ExxonMobil.
The attacks highlight ongoing risks for oil exports from Kazakhstan through Russian terminals. Despite the disruptions, the tankers remain operational, with minor damages being repaired, but the potential for further strikes could significantly affect shipping schedules and costs for companies handling crude in the region.
