A tanker carrying cargo for a Chevron subsidiary was attacked by drones in the Black Sea
A tanker was attacked while loading oil at the CPC terminal / Photo: VPales / Shutterstock.com
The tanker NISSOS SIFNOS, owned by the shipper Tengizchevroil LLP (50% owned by Chevron, with another 25% owned by ExxonMobil) was attacked by a drone while loading oil, according to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). As a result, oil loading was halted, but the pipeline facilities are operating normally, according to the CPC.
Drones struck the manifold area (used for mixing or redistributing flows) where oil is received, resulting in a fire on the ship’s cargo deck. The fire was extinguished by the tanker’s crew with the assistance of three CPC support vessels. There were no injuries, no oil spill occurred, and the tanker remained afloat.
In addition, the Manx-flagged tanker MARATHI, which was en route to load oil at the CPC terminal, was attacked by drones in the Black Sea, the consortium said.
The use of force against international energy infrastructure poses risks to global energy security, disrupts international energy trade mechanisms, and causes significant harm to the interests of Kazakhstan and the Western shareholders of the CPC, as well as to cargo shippers, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Eni, Total, Shell, and others, the statement said.
In July, Kazakhstan suspended oil shipments to its main export terminal, the CPC, in the Russian port of Novorossiysk due to attacks on tankers in the Black Sea. The CPC terminal is the main route for exporting Kazakhstani oil to the global market, accounting for about 80% of shipments. As a result, oil production in Kazakhstan fell sharply. The terminal resumed operations after a few days of suspension.
As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Chevron discussed the implications of the recent attacks on tankers in the Black Sea with the White House. According to the newspaper’s sources, the Donald Trump administration subsequently asked Ukraine to limit its attacks in the Black Sea.
On Wednesday, July 29, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev discussed the situation surrounding the CPC with U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry did not report on the results of the conversation.
This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor
