Overview
- The Caspian Pipeline Consortium suspended oil loading at its Novorossiysk marine terminal after a drone attack on a tanker while it was loading, the company reported.
- The CPC said the NISSOS SIFNOS was hit while on the single point mooring SPM-3 and that crew and support vessels extinguished a cargo-deck fire with no casualties or oil spill, according to the consortium’s statement on July 30.
- Several tankers bound for Novorossiysk were rerouted to Turkey and Spain or marked 'for orders' after the July attacks, and the consortium has paused loading while damage assessments continue.
- Russian foreign ministry officials publicly blamed Ukraine and labeled the strikes terrorist, raising diplomatic tensions as the CPC reviews its security and operational options.
- The CPC pipeline carries more than 80% of Kazakhstan’s crude exports, so repeated shutdowns have already removed large volumes from the market and a full stoppage would further tighten supply and lift price risk.