Oil loadings at a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal off Russia's Black Sea coast were suspended on Sunday after two oil tankers were attacked during loading operations, with one vessel catching fire, the company said.
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The ASIA and NISSOS IOS tankers were attacked at the CPC terminal, which is located near Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. The ASIA tanker caught fire following the attack, but the blaze was later extinguished, CPC said. Both tankers remained afloat.
"There were no injuries or fatalities amongst CPC staff or contractors. There was no oil spill," CPC said, adding that there were no casualties among its staff or contractors. The company did not identify any party as responsible for the attack.
The suspension of oil loadings at the terminal threatens to disrupt a key export route for Kazakh crude, which is transported through Russia to international markets. The CPC pipeline accounts for about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, making the terminal a critical link in the country's energy trade.
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in attacks by both Russia and Ukraine on shipping and energy infrastructure in the Black and Azov seas over the past week. Kyiv has for months targeted Russia's oil industry, saying it directly supports Moscow's war effort and generates revenue through oil exports. The attacks have contributed to acute fuel shortages in Russia, one of the world's largest oil producers.
The CPC operates a 940-mile (1,510 km) pipeline connecting Kazakhstan's oil deposits on the Caspian Sea with Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. Oil transported through the pipeline is loaded onto tankers at the port and shipped to global markets.
The Russian government and Russian state oil companies together hold a 31% stake in the consortium. The pipeline is also a major export route for Kazakhstan, allowing its crude to reach international markets through Russian territory and Black Sea shipping routes.
