Kazakhstan has stopped piping oil to the Black Sea's Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal following a series of drone attacks on oil tankers. This decision was made after the tanker Nelsa, loading at the terminal, was hit by a drone on July 20, causing a fire and forcing operations to halt for the second time in less than 24 hours. The initial attacks on July 19 targeted the tankers Asia and Nissos Ios, prompting a temporary suspension of loadings.
The CPC pipeline is crucial for Kazakhstan, transporting over two-thirds of its crude exports and accounting for roughly 1% of global oil supply. Major shareholders in the consortium include Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell, with Kazakhstan's state-owned KazMunayGas also being a significant stakeholder. The attacks have been condemned by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy as terrorist acts against civilian maritime infrastructure and the nation's economic interests.
Following the disruptions, Kazakhstan's national oil company, KazMunayGas, announced it would immediately divert crude oil intended for the CPC terminal to other pipelines and rail routes. This move aims to mitigate the impact on production from fields like Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak, which rely heavily on the CPC system. The long-term implications for global oil supply, particularly to European refineries that increasingly depend on Kazakh oil as an alternative to Middle Eastern sources, remain a concern.
The repeated drone strikes have highlighted the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure in the Black Sea region. While emergency crews swiftly extinguished fires and prevented major oil spills, the incidents underscore the severe risks to maritime shipping and the potential for significant economic and environmental consequences. The full assessment of the Nelsa's technical condition and the broader fallout from these attacks is still underway, with no immediate timeline for the resumption of loadings at the CPC terminal declared.
